Nico with a Chance
by musicnotes093
Summary: The trailer is waiting inside this story for you. Sonny with a Chance! Chonny at first, but eventually Sonnico.
1. Story Promo

**Title: **Nico with a chance

**Show: **Sonny with a chance

**Shipper:** Sonnico

**Rating: **Teen

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Sonny with a Chance. It belongs to whoever it belongs to.

**Trailer:**

"**Nico with a chance"**

**[Bold font- **Disney's over voice **normal font-** line **Italic-**scene**]**

**Everybody in So Random is busy**

_Shows Sonny, Grady, Toni, and Zora on their phones_

_Sonny looks happily surprised at Nico_

"I got the role! Nico, I'm going to be in a movie!"

_Shows Toni holding her 'fluffed' phone in her shoulder looking nonchalant at Nico_

"Go away, Nico. They're telling me the taping schedule."

_Shows Nico trying to talk Grady into doing something at the stage_

"Sorry, man," Grady told Nico, "Toni and I have to do this special appearance."

_Shows Nico and Zora in the props room_

"Sorry, Nico. I have my own gig, too."

**And it leaves Nico all alone**

_Shows Nico sitting alone on a crate after the taping is done_

**What happens when a chance arrive for him, too?**

_Shows Nico alone in the cafeteria, acting out a scene from an estranged script_

_Unknown to him, the producer of Mackenzie Falls is listening_

"I always wonder how to tell you I love you," Nico said, heartfelt.

He had Sonny in mind, and he could feel himself as if he was the character.

"But I'm too scared. You have to forgive me if I leave the…Falls?!" he exclaimed with disgust as he discovered where the script was for.

The producer clapped. Nico looked back.

_Shows Mr. West, Mackenzie Falls' producer, slyly smiling at Nico _

"Think about it, Nico. They don't need you at So Random anymore. All of them are going to leave you. But if you're in Mackenzie falls—"

"The cast is way too rude, trust me. I believe they'll get all snotty with me and I will quit the show soon. So, what's the use?"

"You're right," Mr. West agreed. "But you forget that also soon, with the talent that you have, you'll have more loyal friends. I bet the Teen Awards Committee will also be."

_Shows Sonny and the gang sitting at the leather sofa at the props room (without Nico) looking at a Mackenzie falls' commercial with disgusted looks in their faces_

_Toni was smirking at the screen. Grady was drinking soda._

"_Next week at the Falls…a new boy arrives…that will make the story more complicated…," _the TV announced, then show Nico at the screen. The So Random casts' jaws dropped at the sight of Nico. Grady blows the water out of his mouth.

"_Matthew Connerway," _Nico introduced himself, smiling.

"_Heather Locke,"_ Rhianne Anderson said, extending sweetly her hands to him. "_Welcome to the Falls."_

**Will it break the gang apart?**


	2. About You Now

**Author's Note:**_**Probably, by the time I post this chapter, there aren't much people who have read this story. That will be a heartbreaker for me. I would like to see at least some reviews, please. Another thing is Tawni's name. I wasn't sure how to spell it so…**_

_**To Seddie4Ever123, abby1234, and GoodeGirl, this is dedicated to you guys. Y'all are the best.**_

_**Anyway, Sonny with a Chance **__**does not**__** belong to me. It belongs to its creators and producers. So as 'Hansel and Gretel', 'Thumbelina', and 'Little Red Riding Hood'. They belong to their rightful writers. Nothing belongs to me! **_

**Chapter 1:**

"**About You Now"**

People laughed. Some of the viewers in the audience wiped away small droplets of tears. Marshall peeked from behind the curtain. Basing on this reaction, he concluded that the sketches they had tonight were just perfect. At the moment, the cast was doing the "(Not So) Prince Charming" sketch. Here, Nico played as Jerry, a punk-rock teenager who accidentally, because of his invention, brought bedtime story characters into life. Grady and Tawni played as Hansel and Gretel, Zora played as Thumbelina, and Sonny played as Little Red Riding Hood.

Hansel, Gretel, Thumbelina, and Little Red Riding Hood had been creating havoc in Jerry's room, which was driving him to the edge of sanity. Hansel and Gretel continuously asked him for candies; Little Red Riding Hood had been sneaking in her basket some of the baked goods Jerry's mom left on the counter; Thumbelina was just being too imperative.

Jerry stood up after cleaning the floor. "Enough!" he yelled. The four looked at him with surprise. "I can't do this anymore!"

"What do you mean, Jerry?" Gretel asked sweetly.

"I'm done with you peo—characters!" Jerry yelled.

"What are you talking about?" Thumbelina asked. "I still need some—"

"Shut it, little bit," Jerry warned. Thumbelina held up her hands in the air and shrugged. "I wish…I wish…I wish none of this had happened." As soon as he said this, the machine that he invented began to make cacophonous noise. It emitted smoke and spark. All of the characters, including Jerry, were terrified. "What's happening?" Jerry shouted. The machine sparked once more, exploded, and the studio grew dim. After a few moments, the light went back, and showed the So Random cast in front of the curtain, smiling at the audience.

"Unfortunately," Tawni announced, "you won't see the ending of the "(Not So) Prince Charming" sketch until next show because we're out of time."

"Don't worry! It won't be long until the next show, though!" Sonny perkily added. "But thank you guys and goodnight!"

The audience clapped, even gave them a standing ovation, while the cast waved to them with their brightest smiles. One by one, they went behind the curtain. Marshall welcomed them with a wide grin in his face. He patiently waited until everyone was in his sight.

"I'm so proud of you kids," he said. "This was our best show yet!"

"All thanks to me, right?" Tawni asked, enthusiastic to glorify herself once more.

Without removing the grin from his face, Marshall answered, "No." Tawni frowned instantaneously. Marshall turned to everybody else. "I want to thank all of you. You did an excellent job tonight. Grady and Sonny, you two are just the most brilliant sketch writers." The two mumbled either a humble 'Nah. That's not true' or a flattered 'Thanks'. Marshall turned next to Nico. He held out his arms in front of him and said, "And you, my little prodigy. You were the show stealer tonight. Give me a hug."

Nico obediently hugged Marshall and gave him a pat on the back. Sonny, Grady, Zora, and even Tawni couldn't agree more with Marshall's comment. Nico _really _did an outstanding job. He was believable. He was great. He was funny.

Tonight, he was the show.

"The others did better," Nico humbly said.

"Ah. Humble as usual," Marshall smiled at him. "Keep it up, kiddo." He walked away from them with a very content smile on his face. Tonight was just a good night for him. He thought that nothing would ever go wrong. Especially not in the way things have gone tonight.

"Thanks for stealing my show, Nico," Tawni said while walking past him. She wasn't mad, as her tone indicated, but she was rather happy. They had been together for some years and tonight, she was rather pleased to see Nico's talent surface on the sketches.

Nico frowned, but still with some hints of smile. He looked at Sonny who was grinning at him. It bewildered him. She had never grinned at him like this before. "Is something on my face?" he asked without sarcasm.

"No," Sonny replied. "But you did fantastic tonight!" Instincts kicked in, and Sonny found herself hugging Nico. She knew she would feel a little uncomfortable later on if she hadn't hugged him. She let go a few seconds later, realizing that it might become a little uneasy for them. "Sorry," she apologized with a smile, "force of habit."

"That's fine," he replied. Sonny granted him one last smile, and then she left for the dressing room. Nico felt his breath left him when Sonny hugged him. She hadn't done that to him before. His heart beat faster and slower at the same time when he realized she was close to him. She was very close. Added to that, he felt as if his world slowed down. He could smell her Strawberry Fizz spray, her Cashmere shampoo, and he felt tenser. It wasn't easy for him, especially when his crush was hugging him. He looked at the way Sonny went, mesmerized.

"Dude," Grady's voice pierced through his thoughts, "you really got it bad with Sonny, don't you?"

"What?" Nico asked, still hypnotized.

Grady shook his head. "Why don't you ask her out?"

"What?" he asked with such shock. "Are you crazy? I'm just going to embarrass myself in front of her! She'll laugh at me." He started walking towards the props room with his cheeks tinting a little because of the notion of him asking Sonny to a date.

Grady scoffed then followed him. "Nico, for crying out loud. You don't know if she likes you too or not. We'll know if you ask her," he said, patting his friend at the back. "Besides, you're Nico Harris, remember?"

"Yeah, but she's Sonny Munroe," Nico said, stopping in his tracks. He sighed. "I can't do it, Grady. And I think I'm way too…common…for her. She's really pretty and talented. She's out of my league." He looked back at Grady with a sad smile.

Grady looked up at the ceiling, bit his lip, and shook his head. "Check your temperature, buddy. I think you're way too lovesick." He walked on towards his dressing room, chuckling with how Nico reacted with just one hug.

Nico frowned. _What did he mean by that? _He asked himself this question. He wanted to ask Grady aloud, but a different question came out from his mouth. "Hey Grady! Has the pizza guy come yet? I'm hungry!"

_**So there you have it guys! Was it bad? Was it good? I would like to hear from you. I just need at least one response for me to do a second chapter. Probably in a week or so after posting this chapter. If I receive more than one, that would be aw, shocks awesome! However, if I receive just one, I would endear that someone who commented. A billion wouldn't exist without a one, if you know what I mean.**_

_**Anyways, have a great Sonnico day! **_


	3. Pulling a Block from a Wall

_**Author's Note: **__**Hey everyone! So I received a comment, and I'm going on with the story! Can I get a yay yay from you guys?**_

—_**To GoodeGirl, thanks for being the first commenter and for leaving a meaningful message for little ol' me. You're great.**_

_**Anyways, here's the second chapter, and I do hope you enjoy it! **_

_**Disclaimer:**__** Nope. I still don't own Sonny with a Chance. It still belongs to Disney. **_

_**Chapter 2:**_

"**Pulling a Block from a Wall"**

The AC blew some cold air with a certain sharp noise. If it didn't make clunking sounds before releasing the air, one could mistake it as a loud breathing noise. It might seem a little uncomfortable, but it wasn't the case for Marshall. In these moments, especially when he's in his office, he finds the tranquility that hides from him every time a So Random! taping goes on. He finds it rather pleasing. It was just him and the AC at early mornings, and he wouldn't exchange that for anything.

He sorted through the pile of mail he received yesterday. There were fan mails, production letters, some junk mails, and then he saw the most important of all, the letter from M.A.B.C.B. They provide him with a view of how the show faired by showing him the ratings. He picked it up, opened it with his letter opener, and did a quick read through.

_We shouldn't be doing badly,_ he thought to himself while reading the introduction of the letter. After all, the sketches were getting better. His eyes skimmed the unimportant parts and when he came to the ratings, he scrutinized the numbers. There they lied in front of his eyes, and they shocked him. It showed that So Random!'s ratings dropped gradually then, dramatically. Marshall sat up from his swivel chair with creased eyebrows. "That can't be right," he said aloud. "There has to be some mistake." Marshall picked up the phone and dialed in M.A.B.C.B's phone number. Surely, there have to be some mistake.

"So, Zora's going to be Mona Lisa?" Nico asked while looking down at the rough draft of a sketch that Sonny gave him.

"Mmm-hmm," Sonny monotonously replied.

Nico looked up from the draft and saw that all of them stood in a horizontal line, holding their phones in front of their faces. He also stood up and looked at each one of them. They were extremely focused on their phone's screens. _What are these people doing?_ , he asked himself. "What are you guys doing?" he asked slowly, nibbling every word before they come out of his lips.

"Shh!" Tawni hissed. "We're busy."

"With your phones?" he incredulously asked. "Is it Sharona's blog again?"

"No, Nico," Grady patiently answered. His eyes, however, didn't tear away from his phone. "We're waiting for calls."

He was more puzzled. "From who?"

"Producers!" Zora barked with hostility. "We're waiting for their call to see if we get the job we applied for!"

Nico walked back to his chair, a little hurt by Zora's yelling. "Fine. Sheesh."

Sonny picked up the tint of disappointment in Nico's voice so she quickly tried to mend it. "Sorry, Nico. It's just very important."

"That's fine," he answered. He looked back at the draft and reread it. "So I'm going to be '_The Thinker_'? Huh. I wonder what he's been thinking all of this time."

Sonny's, Tawni's, Grady's, and Zora's phones rang in unison. All of them gasped then, they exclaimed in an excited chorus, "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!"

Nico, thinking that that was their response, was puzzled. A brooding expression dawned to his face, "Really? I never thought of that," he said. He hadn't notice that the others had already started to disperse in different directions to answer their call, except for Sonny who remained on her spot. A thought entered his mind, and he began to grin. "Well," he started again, "it actually depends on what he was thinking…" He looked up from the sketch's rough draft. His grin fell instantaneously as he realized it was only Sonny and him.

"Uh huh," Sonny excitedly answered, while nodding, to the person on the other line. "Yes! Yes! Thank you so much! Okay. Bye." Sonny pushed the hang-up button on her phone. Nico walked towards Sonny, curious of who called her. Sonny turned around with a very big grin and announced, "I got the role! Nico, I'm going to be in the movie!"

Nico couldn't help but grin, too, but in all honesty, he didn't know what Sonny was talking about. "That's great!" he feigned. Sonny expectantly looked at him to add something more, but he couldn't. He confessed, "Sonny, honestly, I don't know what you're talking about."

Sonny shook her head with a smile. "Have you heard of the in-production movie _'Drive'_?" she asked.

"Yeah. It's about those three cheerleaders that got stuck in Tennessee, right?" he asked. Sonny slowly nodded with a mist of slyness in her answer. Nico's eyes widened then his jaw dropped. "You're going to be in that movie?"

Sonny shivered with the excitement. "Yes!" she answered ecstatically. "I also got one of the lead roles!"

"Really? I heard that it was a really tough casting," Nico said. He smiled and nodded approvingly at her. "I guess you're just one great of an actress."

"Thanks."

"But, doesn't that mean you'll be away from us in very long time?" he asked. Inside him, anxiety and jealousy for Sonny's future cast mates built up.

She placed her right hand in his left shoulder. He felt a little tension came up again, but he tried his best to hide it. "The longest time I'd be away from you guys is never," Sonny replied thoughtfully. "I won't be here as long as before, yes, but that's just for two months. That's the most. We'll still see each other everyday." She gently lifted her hands from Nico's shoulders and exchanged smiles with him for a moment.

Another thought entered Nico's mind. "Wait. I just remembered. Next Saturday, it would be your first year anniversary in So Random!"

"How'd you remember that?" she asked. Nico shrugged. "That's weird."

His heart dropped. She just thought he was creepy. A mild consternation stirred up in him, and it became evident in his face. "Oh. I—"

"I'm just kidding," she said. Nico let out a breath of relief. Sonny shook her head. "You're getting really serious nowadays, did you know that?"

"No," he answered, a mild fear still resided in him.

"I'm going to buy pizza for us next Saturday, don't worry. I'll also be here." Sonny left after saying her words. As usual, Nico's sight was focused only on her trail. Irritation to himself and gladness in Sonny's statements mixed. They fought each other on which would conquer his mind, and gladness won.

He smiled, and silently said, "I'm also going to get you something for your anniversary. I'll come."

Marshall sat in his swivel chair, mortified. The intensity of the message he was receiving from the person on the phone mixed with the scowls of the cold air. "Are you sure?" Marshall asked once more.

"Yes," the man answered back, "Sorry, Mr. Marshall, but your show is really taking the plunge right now. I would tell you, though, that with your failing ratings, M.A.B.C.B might advice you to terminate the show yourself."

"I can't do that," Marshall uneasily said. "I mean, I have five kids in this show. What will happen to them? What about the money we've already spent for this month's episodes? I can't just throw it all away like it's nothing." Marshall exhaled sharply. "Oh gosh. I thought that we were having better ratings the past few weeks."

"I'm sorry," the man remorsefully consoled. "We'll just contact you sometime again this month." With that, he hung up.

Marshall slowly placed the phone back to its spot. He shut his eyes tight, and put his palms hopelessly in his face. _This cannot be happening_, he thought. _Not now. The kids are all getting better at their game. How would I tell them? _Marshall couldn't even handle to think about telling them. If they will be broken, he would be shattered. They were like his kids. He wouldn't dare to tear them apart from him. He knew that he have to someday, but not now.

Deep inside, he was tearing up. His soul is depleted, while his heart was burnt to ashes.

_**The tension officially starts here. You could see another problem arise, one that wasn't (at least) mentioned in the "trailer". I'm actually giving some foreshadowing here on what will happen on the next chapter. I just love giving a little away, just like how I love reading spoilers in BIG movies. Sorry. Just a bad habit.**_

_**Anyways, please review! I would love to receive another one, and let me know what you think. One more thing, I know Marshall's last name is not Marshall (if you know what I mean). I forgot it. Can someone please help me? =) **_

_**Have a great Sonnico day! **_


	4. Falling Down

___**Author's Note**__**: I was a little irritated when I reread the past two chapters I posted. It had a lot of grammatical errors, missing information, confusing activities (characters), and punctuation mishaps. I'm gravely sorry if ever I offended anyone with that. I'm doing my best to create an excellent fanfic, but I seem to have ruined it. Maybe it's because I rushed it. I'm very sorry again and next time, I'll do better. **_

_**I'll try and see if I can have a fresh start with this chapter.**_

_**Anyways, I saw the very first episode of Sonny with a Chance again. I think it's affirmative that Nico likes Sonny. Let me give you an excerpt…**_

"_**(while hugging Tawni) Sonny: Sorry. I'm a hugger.**_

_**(Nico grins and opens his arms wide) Nico: Small world. So am I."**_

…_**or something like that. **_

_**Disclaimer: **__**I DO NOT own Sonny with a Chance and everything that goes with it. It belongs to Disney. If this show was mine, let's just say you would be reading one of its episodes. **_

_**Cue Chapitre trois (chapter three in French)!**_

_**Chapter 3**_

"**Falling Down" **

Nico silently sat on a crate with his palms supporting his chin. Only fifteen minutes have passed after the show's taping ended, but he was already alone; his cast mates have gone to their other tapings. It was a repetitious routine throughout that whole week. He tried to talk to them, but they, unintentionally, he was sure, brushed him off instead. He remembered how he tried to plan a prank with Grady, but Grady just remorsefully answered, "Sorry, man. Tawni and I have to do this special appearance." Nico nodded in reply with an attempted smile in his lips. He understood.

Within minutes after their conversation, Grady went away for that particular taping.

He found it hard to get a grasp on his best friend after that, so he tried to ask Tawni if they could hangout together. He was a little reluctant to the idea at first, but he thought that it was better than being alone. "Go away, Nico," she told him nonchalantly after he asked, "They're telling me the taping schedule." He wasn't surprised with her response but then again, it struck him hard that two of his cast mates, whom he has been with for some years, seem to push him away.

Sonny was the next person in line, and he was excited about it. He even thought that it would be fantastic if they could spend time together. He would get a chance to know her better, and he hoped that she would know him better, too. However, he found out that it was too great of a dream. Sonny rarely had the time to sit down and relax because of her hectic schedule. He thought it would be better if he didn't ask her.

Finally, he thought of Zora. They weren't the closest. In fact, he doubted they would ever be, but she was the last one. He asked her one day if she needed help with anything, but all he got as an answer was, "Sorry, Nico. I have my own gig, too." He understood and left her. It was one of the worst nights in his life. No one seemed to care about him. He sent and waited for text messages or even a short phone call with a "hey, how're you doing?", but none came. He remembered sitting in his room after coming home that night with the lights turned off. Only the television provided light for him. He began looking around the room and when he saw that his situation could possibly last for months, a growing malaise climbed to his heart.

At this moment, he was in the same situation. A seemingly exciting Friday night was in front of him and yet, there was no one to spend it with. He stood up from his seat and walked towards his dressing room. When he got there, he opened the door, turned on the light, and slowly slammed his body on the couch, lying with his back. He blankly stared at the ceiling.

_It'll be just for a few weeks,_ he told himself. _And, tomorrow, they would be here anyways. It's Sonny's first anniversary and everybody would have to be here. _A delighted smile crept up Nico's face as he turned his head towards the nearby wall. An immaculate pink and black electric guitar leaned on it with a wrapped box sitting close. He turned his head back to the ceiling again and closed his eyes, the smile still on his lips. It had been the best year, after all, for him. He hoped that the gifts he bought for Sonny would make her happy. The day he met her, he felt, was a blessing, and tomorrow would be exactly one year after that miracle happened.

"Wasn't that sketch awesome?" Sonny asked with enthusiasm. "I mean, it would be really funny if there was a real prank call center."

Sonny, Grady, Nico, Tawni, and Zora walked towards the props room after the show ended. Sonny was the only one grinning with excitement because of the show. Nico was smiling at her, listening intently. Grady was too tired and did not even dare to understand the conversation. Tawni examined her perfectly manicured nails, making sure that none was damaged while doing the show. Zora, like Grady, had a blank mind.

Tawni sighed. "I'd be annoyed if a thing like that existed," she commented.

Zora looked up at her with tired eyes. "Is there anything that doesn't annoy you?" she asked rhetorically. Tawni threw a glare at her as a reply. Nico and Sonny exchanged glances then chuckled. All of them entered the props room, receiving the feeling of home as they did. As soon as the enticing aroma of pizza reached their noses, they became livelier.

"For the love of all the pizzas in the world," Grady slowly said as if hypnotized, "who ordered these?" He ran towards the stack of pizza boxes and stared at them with big, hungry, plate-like eyes.

Sonny giggled. "I did," she replied.

Zora also stood near the pizza boxes with the eagerness to wolf down its contents. Without tearing her eyes away from it, she asked, "Why?"

Nico creased his eyebrows. "Did you guys forget? It's Sonny's first year anniversary in the show." The other three looked at Sonny with surprised looked on their faces. They did forget. "I'll take that as a yes," he said.

"Don't worry about it, guys. I didn't remember it either but Mr. Memory here," Sonny said then gestured at Nico, "reminded me last week."

Grady simpered and took one box from the stack. "Should've known," he silently said. Nico frowned at him. "May I?" he asked Sonny, referring to the pizza box he took, as he sat down while he put his fingers on the box top.

"Of course," she replied. "You guys can get as much as you want. I'll just go and wash my hands," she said then, walked out of the room with a content smile on her face.

Before running after her, Nico whispered to Grady. "You're ruining it for me, bro."

Grady grinned. "I'm always happy to help." Nico shook his head and ran after Sonny. Grady turned back to the pizzas and noticed that Tawni was chomping on one big slice. Zora was looking at her, too. She was eating as if she had never eaten before. Her law of 'bite, wipe, and gloss' never seem to have existed.

When she felt their stares, she looked at them with creased eyebrows. "What?" she asked. "I'm hungry too, you know." Grady and Zora shrugged and departed to their own worlds while eating their pizza.

"Sonny, wait!" Nico called after Sonny. He caught up with her in front of his dressing room.

Sonny stopped dead in her tracks and turned to him. "Hey. What's up?" she casually asked. Like always, there was a smile present in her lips.

Nico tried to catch his breath first, and then he spoke. "I…I wanted to give you something," he said. He went inside the room and got the gifts. He handed the guitar case to her, including a rectangular box in a pink gift-wrap. Sonny's eyes widened and her jaws dropped. Her expression served as a prediction to Nico that she might just like his gifts.

"Nico!" she said, not believing of what he had done, "You shouldn't have."

"I should. Aren't you going to open it?" he asked her.

Both of them knelt on the ground while Sonny opened the presents. She opened the guitar case first. As the beautiful electric guitar unraveled in front of her eyes, her heart started to race. She couldn't help but scream. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed excitedly. She unknowingly gave Nico a very tight hug, on the neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He smiled, even though he couldn't breathe properly. "Anything for a great friend like you," he said in a strangled voice.

Sonny heard his hoarse voice and let go of him. "I'm sorry," she apologized happily.

"That's…" he grasped for air, "that's quite fine." In all honesty, he did not mind that he was just a few minutes away from passing out because of lack of air. All that mattered was that she liked the first gift. Excitement built up as he waited for her to open the second one.

She turned next to the box. She opened it quickly and when she saw it, the smile dropped off her face. She felt like crying and laughing at the same time. "How…how did you find this?" she asked. Small droplets of tears formed in her eyes because of joy. She looked back at the box and saw her dream: a doll that looked like her, or at least represents her. It was perfect: the Sonny doll had the same dark hair as her, brown eyes, and the bully outfit that she wore when they did the 'Bully-proof Bag' sketch on a past episode.

Nico was satisfied. He bought the right things for her. He knew that Sonny liked playing the guitar because he had heard her play songs and sing. However, he noticed that she didn't have any electric guitars, and he thought she might want one. The guitar just stood out from the bunch, like how Sonny always does every time he sees her. The doll was the hardest one to find. He heard her and Tawni talking before about their dream merchandise, like, how Tawni wanted lunch boxes with her image imprinted on it and how Sonny wants a doll that looks like her. He had to go to every toy store (and avoid the paparazzi) just to get it for her.

"Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me," she told him.

"I'm glad you liked it," he simply replied.

Sonny gently took the doll out of the box, looking at it with much affection. She handed another smile to Nico, then started stroking the frail doll's smooth hair. Nico sat silent opposite of her with a touched smile. He gave her the right gifts. He hoped he made her glad. He also hoped that she would realize how important she is to him and how he would always do his best to treat her right.

Sonny's none-too-perfectly-polished fingers started to frolic next with the doll's clothes when a dog came running towards her. A Yorkshire terrier, to be exact, jumped and took the doll with its mouth then ran away a little farther in the corridor. Sonny gasped and started to run after the dog with a terrified expression in her eyes. "Hey!" she yelled, "Come back with my doll!"

Nico ran behind her, a little anxious and very much frightened of the idea of what the dog might do. He and Sonny were having a perfect moment seconds earlier, but the dog that sprang out of nowhere ruined it. They turned a sharp right, Sonny still ahead. After he turned, he saw Sonny kneeling down in front of the dog, holding the Sonny doll with slobbered on and chewed up hands and legs.

"Aw," Sonny whined, "my doll!" She looked back to Nico, upset with what happened. "Nico, I'm sorry. I should've held the doll tighter."

"That's…" He himself was upset on what happened. Not because of Sonny, though, but because of the dog. "Whose dog is it anyways?"

"Sonny's," a familiar voice answered from behind them. Sonny stood up and blushed when she saw the person. Nico, however, had his blood boiling with anger when he recognized the voice. "He jumped off my hands. I meant to give him to Sonny," Chad added with that ever so present mischievous smile in his face.

"Chad," Sonny nervously said. Her racing heartbeat was eminent in her voice. Chad was there, in front of her. Chad Dylan Cooper, the boy who she has been crushing on since the day he saved her from the 'fake fan' humiliation.

Nico saw her reaction and had his heart fall down a little. Of course. Who was he to even dream of making Sonny notice him? How could he, especially if the Mackenzie poser is always there to overshadow his presence? "You could've at least put him on a leash," Nico stated calmly through gritted teeth.

Chad slowly turned to him and rose up his eyebrows sarcastically. "As I said," he announced, "he jumped off from my hands."

Sonny picked up the dog with a fresh smile on her face. "You said that this dog is for me?" she asked, hoping that Chad would say— Chad nodded his head. Her smile escalated to a grin as she examined the cute dog in her hands. "Thanks! This dog is so cute."

"He reminded me of you," he answered. Sonny frowned. Nico, however, was getting desperate for Sonny to realize that the dog had just turned his gift for her into a chew toy. He was also hoping that Chad would just go away.

"Are you saying that Sonny looks like a dog?" Nico asked, taking the offense.

"No, simpleton," Chad, annoyed, replied to him. Like Nico, he wished that the other guy would just walk away. "What I'm trying to say is: the dog is as cute as Sonny."

Sonny smiled again. Her blind reaction made Nico a little disappointed. "Please don't tell me you're buying it," he pleaded while managing to keep his poise. "That little dog just chewed my gift for you like he was chewing a gum." Sonny was still hypnotized; she stared at Chad with much adoration.

Chad knew he won. He always does in everything, and sweeping Sonny off her feet was one of the things that fall in the category. He shook his head and expressed a fake sympathy. He placed his right hand on Nico's shoulder and whispered, "Don't blame the dog for knowing what's trash." Nico gritted his teeth inside his mouth. He thought before that Chad is one of the people he could never stand. Now, Chad was _the_ person he could never ever stand. "Sonny," Chad called to her once more, "I did name him. I'm sorry."

"That—that's fine," she stuttered while giggling. "What's the little angel's name?"

"Ginger Ale."

Nico scoffed. "No wonder why he ran far away from you," he mumbled under his breath. Chad heard his comment and narrowed his eyes on him.

Sonny scratched her head, looking away from Chad. "Look," Chad said apologetically to her, "his name might sound a little out there—"

"Try _really_," Nico mumbled again.

Chad shot a short glare at him before continuing. "But I named the dog after your favorite drink, Sonny." Nico didn't expect this. It seems like every time he tried to recover from Chad's out-staging, the more his chances of winning Sonny over diminishes.

"How did you know that?" Sonny asked meekly.

Chad knew that victory was his. There was just one thing he had to say, and Nico would be out of the game. "I like learning things about the girls I like." Sonny slowly shrugged, love struck. "I also bought him for your first year anniversary here in Hollywood," Chad fired again. Sonny smiled to herself. Chad turned to Nico again and gave him a victory wink. "We can walk Ginger Ale out, if you like?" he asked Sonny.

"Of course!" she accepted.

The two have started walking out of the room when Nico spoke again. "Sonny, what about the guitar and the doll?"

"Um, yeah." She looked back at Nico with a fake mild smile, with that stop-ruining-it-for-me expression in her eyes. Nico knew before she spoke. For her, his gifts never existed. "Do you mind keeping it until I come back?"

"Of course," he accepted, disappointed beyond disbelief. Chad had a content look in his face for seeing his opponent fall apart in front of his very eyes. Nico nodded, avoiding any of their eyes, "For you, of course."

Chad placed his right arm on Sonny's shoulders and walked with her towards wherever. The defeated Nico was aching with disappointment while he stood alone on the corridor. He slowly stooped down for the chewed doll and held it firmly in his hands. He stared at it. Sonny, the ever so perfect one, let him down. He sighed then silently apologized to Sonny because of his being disappointed with her. It wasn't her fault; it was Chad's. If only he stayed away, just for today, then everything would have been all right. Now everything is just not right. He was betting they might have even kicked the electric guitar out of their way when they passed it. _You really should learn how to lower your expectations,_ Nico told himself. _Well, it's not like it will get worse than this._

Au contraire.

Nico walked silently out of the studio, reading the script for tomorrow's sketches. He was oblivious to all the things that happened a few hours earlier. To the contrary of his idea, the guitar was not there when he walked by. Sonny might have taken it to her dressing room. Then again, maybe she already got rid of it. Either way, he didn't care. It was her gift. He respected her could-be decisions and thought that she had every right to do whatever she pleases with it. For the Sonny doll, he placed it on their (Sonny and Tawni's) dressing room, next to the trashcan for Sonny's convenience.

He felt like every expectations he had for the day failed. Sonny didn't seem to care about the gifts, thanks to Chad; Grady, Zora, and Tawni left all of their trash in the props room and he had to clean up. All of them were also gone when he came back. So much for a party of one. Despite this, he was a little glad that he cleaned in the props room. The activity made him forget his disappointments and sadness. Afterwards, he decided to go home. He was tired and tomorrow would be a fresh start. He only had the goal of sleeping because he hoped that if he slept, it could erase every upsets he experienced today.

For now, he heeded no attention to any of that. It's just him and the script. His steps were rhythmic, he noticed, as it echoed through the walls. He did a right turn and began bobbing his head up and down as if listening to a silent song. He continued on walking until he reached Marshall's office. He halted then tiptoed towards it. _Maybe I should say goodnight to Marshall before beating it,_ he decided. The door was slightly ajar. Nico peeked in first before coming in so as not to anger Marshall if ever he was talking to someone important. He saw one of the producers standing opposite Marshall with a worried expression on his face. Marshall was brooding.

"Are you sure there's no other way?" the producer, Derek Casey, asked Marshall on what seemed to be the umpteenth time.

Marshall sighed. "I'm going to fire Nico this coming Saturday." Nico was taken aback by Marshall's statement. The wonderful air that used to feed him with life tasted stale. The heart that was in his chest seemed to have ran away from him. "I don't think the show needs him anymore. I mean, Sonny is there, and Grady, Zora…Tawni would also be a good cover for him."

Derek shook his head. "Are you really letting the kid go?" he asked.

Nico held his breath for Marshall's response, his brain busily throbbing. "This is not his show anyways. He doesn't belong here now," Marshall bluntly said. It pained him to say this, but it was the truth. He knew what Nico could do; the kid is the best. He's a great actor, a splendid comedian, and a diligent kid. Other shows, he was really sure, would love to have him. So Random! is not a place for him anymore. The show's falling apart. Nico's hard work, Marshall knew, might not even bear any good fruit because of the declining rating of the show. He would keep him if he could, but he really had to let him go. Marshall had all of these in his mind, and he kept it in store so he could tell Nico all of this on Saturday.

Nico, however, did not know that. Inside him, he felt like the dream that he had been holding on since he started in this show slapped him flat in the face. It's laughing, pointing its deceitful finger at him. Soon after, everything starts to fall apart. He backed out slowly, then ran towards his car. There was nothing in his mind but defeat and disbelief. The treacherous humiliation clung onto his back, too, inflicting a sharp stab to his weak heart. He was not very conscious of what he was doing. There were bits in his vision that informed him that he was driving home. A few minutes after, he was in his apartment.

The next thing he knew, he was on his bed, calling his mom.

It wasn't long enough when someone answered the phone. "Hello?" his mom's voice, a little rough because she just woke up, answered him.

"Hey, mom," Nico said, his voice unstable and shaky. He covered his eyes with one of his hands to shield it from the piercing light in his room. "It's Nico."

"Hey, baby!" Mrs. Harris cheerfully greeted her son. "How's it going? Everything fine down there?"

Tears formed in his eyes as he heard his mother's voice. He wanted to tell her that all was good so she wouldn't worry, but that would be lying both to his mom and to himself. How dare he even pretend that everything's okay when things are crumbling down? He was mad, disappointed, humiliated and worst of all, badly scarred because of the things he experienced throughout the week. He was ignored, pushed away, forgotten. Soon enough, he would be fired. He didn't even think of lying with 'I'm getting through.' Tears freely flowed from his soul, down from his eyes. "Everything's so bad here, mom. I'm just a trash to everybody."

Mrs. Harris didn't speak for a few moments, and Nico hypothesized that his honest revelation might have made his mother's heart shatter into a billion pieces. "Why don't you start from the beginning and tell me what happened?" she asked her son warmly.

-_** Goodegirl, I know you are following this story, and because of that, I owe you one. **_

_**To the others reading this story, PLEASE, POR FAVOR, S'IL VOUS PLAIT, leave me a review! Aah! I really wanted to hear your thoughts. However, be gentle. I'm just a beginner. **_

_**Anyways, I hope I did good on this chapter. Poor Nico… =(**_

_**The next chapter will start with a flashback. I'm just letting all of you know in advance. Nico and Mr. West would also meet each other for the first time (FINALLY!) in the cafeteria. Well, at least first time for Nico. **_

_**Enough with the spoilers and messages. Have a great Sonnico day! (=P**_


	5. Common Grounds by Mr West

_**Author's Note: **__**I apologize to the readers of this fanfic because it took me so long to update. In this story, there are some "modified" , or changed, 'scenes' from the trailer. It was necessary for me to do it for the character/s development. Sorry again.**_

_**Goodegirl- I know you're still reading this fanfic, and thanks for doing that.**_

_**trisha.218- Welcome aboard! I hope you'll like what you read here, and thanks so much!**_

_**KirstyNatasha- Welcome to you, too!**_

_**Sonnico fact! Have you guys noticed on their show intro, when the six main characters of Sonny with a Chance walks up, that all of them are paired? Grady's hand is on Zora's shoulder, Chad's hand is on Tawni's shoulder, and guess who's with Sonny? Nico! I might seem to pay too much observation on these two but hey, I want to have some evidence when I say that Nico can be with Sonny. **_

_**Disclaimer: **__**Sonny with a Chance doesn't belong to me. Nope, it doesn't. The movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still" is not mine either. It belongs to its proper owners.**_

_**Well, enjoy, my very lovely readers! (…I hope I did good on this…)**_

_**___________________________________________________________________**_

**Chapter 4**

**Common Grounds by Mr. West**

_"Mom," Nico's voice shuddered, "they're going to fire me on Saturday." His warm tears rolled down his cheek, and it meshed with the cold receiver that leaned against his right ear. The lump in his throat became more and more powerful every second he thought about his situation with the show. He wanted to trick himself and say that it's not possible, that it was all just a mean joke, but it was reality. He knew._

_"What? Are you--are you sure?" Mrs. Harris asked._

_"Yeah."_

_"Did he say why?"_

_"He said I don't belong to the show anymore." Nico mustered all his might and stopped himself from sobbing farther so he could answer his mother better. He also didn't want her to panic just because of him. Nico sighed_. "_Maybe that's why all of them are avoiding me. Maybe they knew."_

_"I doubt it, honey. They're your friends. They would have told you."_

_Nico smiled bitterly, his eyes puffed up because of crying. "Not if they're too busy to do so." Mrs. Harris shook her head. She knew before that her son would experience this kind of problem one day, but she never thought it would be this soon. "And I don't think she even cared about the gifts I bought her," Nico muttered, involuntarily saying his thoughts._

_"It's this Sonny Munroe girl you're talking about, am I right?" Mrs. Harris asked. Nico replied with another sigh. "Nico, maybe she's just not for you. And about that firing thing, look. Marshall would have called me, or your manager. He didn't. Maybe it's just a misunderstanding."_

_"What if it wasn't?"_

_"Then you're welcome to come back home, here with me and your dad," Mrs. Harris responded firmly yet, warmly._

Nico sat in a dreary and placid cafeteria, remembering the conversation he had with his mom last night. He sat on a chair, his arms lying outstretched in a cold, plastic table with his head resting on it. A ray of smile emerged next in his face. The idea of going back home sounded like music to his ears. He missed his parents. He also missed the treatment that only-kids get. He could go back to a regular high school and start all over again. Unlike other people, he didn't mind going back to being an ordinary kid. He had a great time in Hollywood, and he was content that he had made other people laugh during his time there. It was all that should matter.

Nico's phone vibrated, and it sent him bolting up in his seat. He quickly slid his hand in his pocket and drew his phone out. The screen paraded in black, bold font the words _1 Text Message received_. Under, it added: _Marshall Pike 8:25 am_. He pressed the button under _Read_.

_Rehearsals in 15 min. , Nico. Where r u, anyways?_ the text message read.

He quickly typed his reply. _I'll b there._ He pressed _Send_, then stood up from his seat. He was halfway out when an estranged script on a table caught his periphery. He screeched to a halt and turned towards the stapled papers. His feet automatically took him in front of it, and his hands reached to take it. The script felt dry, but he also felt as if it was burning. The only cure to this scorching sensation was to open and read it. He did just so and lifted the first blank page then, carefully read the lines in his mind.

From the likeness of it, the script wasn't for any So Random! sketch. There were a lot of drama, though. A certain degree of curiousness rooted in his mind. He looked around the room and made sure that there was no one in there. _I'll try and see if I can do this kind of thing, _he said in his mind, thinking about reading and acting out a drama grinned. _Without cracking up in mid-sentence. _He chuckled, then started to pick a line to deliver. He quickly skimmed through it. _For I am leaving--no. Too ridiculous. I've waited for so long. What?! I hope the people doing this are getting paid a lot to say these on national television,_ Nico thought. Finally, a line caught his eyes, and he felt that that was the line he could do and say. He could feel the words calling him, because they knew that his feelings were familiar to their message.

Nico closed his eyes for a moment, opened it, then he started to read. "I always wonder how to tell you I love you," he said, heartfelt. Sonny popped up on his mind as he said the line with a light, sad expression. Unknown to him, someone behind him was observing all of his actions. "But I'm too scared. You have to forgive me if I leave the…Falls?!" he exclaimed with disbelief.

Before he could even blurt out his reaction, claps echoed on the watching walls of the cafeteria. Nico turned around quickly and saw a man. He wasn't old. In fact, he looked like he was only some years older than Marshall. His hair were like feathers; their color was undecided between black, white, or gray. A fair-skinned man he was, with warm eyes and father-like aura. Nico creased his eyebrows, puzzled on who this man was. He was also a little embarrassed because he thought that the man probably saw him acting the lines of the fully-dramatic script. The man gave a smile to Nico before speaking. "That was phenomenal," the man stated.

"Thanks," Nico replied, his lips mimicking the man's smile.

The man chuckled as he saw a questioning look in Nico's eyes. "Oh, how rude of me," the man said, his chuckles decreasing into mild giggles. He held out his right hand and said, "My name's Eric West."

Nico shook Eric's hand with a little hesitation. He was still mortified and puzzled. "I'm Nico Harris," he introduced himself.

"I know," Eric said, placing his hands inside his pockets. "You work for So Random!, am I right?" Nico nodded. "So how's the show?"

He shrugged. "Still random," he answered thoughtlessly.

Eric laughed. "You are so delightful. Oh, I got to tell you." Nico's smile widened. Eric gathered himself together and spoke again. "I work for Mackenzie Falls."

"Really? I bet it's horrible down there. Snotty people and everything?"

"What made you say that?" Eric asked, still smiling.

Nico exhaled. "Chad Dylan Cooper is a good-enough example," he replied.

"He's not that horrible. Really."

"You're only saying that because you're working there."

"Well, yeah. I'm also saying it because the kid's always nice to me."

"Chad? Nice to a crew member? I find that hard to believe."

"Oh," Eric said, mildly chuckling, "I'm not a crew member. I'm the show's producer."

Nico's eyes grew big. _I did not just say all of that in front of him,_ he thought to himself. "I, um… I'm sorry. I have to, uh…go." He started to walk out of the cafeteria.

Eric grabbed one of Nico's arms to stop him from going away. "Wait a minute," Eric said, gently pulling him back to his earlier position. "I didn't take any offense, so that's fine. You don't have to go." Nico remained quiet. In all honesty, he really had to go. There were only a few minutes left for him to walk back towards the studio before the rehearsals begin. Eric let go of Nico's arm. "I'm sorry for pulling you like that."

"That's fine," Nico replied with a half-forced smile.

"I'm going straight to business, Mr. Harris," Eric stated, his face serious. Also, Eric's tone changed, and this made Nico a little tense. He thought that he might start yelling at him for insulting the cast and crew of his show. He might also tell Marshall, and it would get him in trouble. Then again, he's going to be fired on Saturday. It's the worst trouble of all, but he already have it in bag for the technicality of circumstances. So what's the use? "Mackenzie Falls is going to introduce a new character," Mr. West said, interrupting Nico's thoughts. He positioned his hands in his hips then spoke again. "Matthew Connerway. Now, he's an essential character to the story, and our show needs an excellent actor to do the character. Unfortunately, we couldn't find any."

Nico took a quick glance at the clock. Five minutes before rehearsals. "Forgive me for being rude, but what does that have to do with me?"

A sly smile crept up Mr. West's lips. "I want you to be Matthew Connerway for Mackenzie Falls."

"What?!" Nico exclaimed, astounded by the offer. The thought of So Random! fell off his mind as other things occupied his thoughts.

"I saw you acting earlier. Well, _heard_, actually," Mr. West commented with soft chuckles. "I've also been seeing your performance and commitment to your show, and that's what we're looking for."

Riots of thoughts were breaking out in Nico's mind. The reality of a _huge_ job offer being handed to him personally had the strongest power over all. The conception of a possible betraying-your-friends situation and a tint of a desire to take the job followed suit behind it. He tried to balance which would result to a better ending, and it made the argument more intense. Embarrassment and gratefulness from Mr. West's comment was also sliding beneath those. "Whoa. Hold back there," he said, his mind racing fast. "Me? Mackenzie Falls?" Mr. West simply nodded in reply. "But I have So Random! I mean--"

"Think about it, Nico. They don't need you at So Random anymore," Mr. West stated. Everything stopped for Nico. The fights in his mind stopped, and silence dominated. _How could he possibly know what's going on?_ he asked. Mr. West answered his question, "I also know that you've been all alone. I see you here everyday, sitting like the time wouldn't go any slower and as if the cafeteria banned you from going near the fro-yo machine." Nico opened his mouth to ask how come he knows all of these information about him, but Mr. West beat him to it again. "I've heard some things from my crew members." He scratched his head before speaking again. "All of them are going to leave you." Nico tensed, being reluctant to hear a truth from someone else. What added to it was, Eric is a Mackenzie Falls' producer, possibly just trying to persuade him to join their cast. "But if you're in Mackenzie falls—"

"The cast is way too rude, trust me. I believe they'll get all snotty with me and I will quit the show soon. So, what's the use?" Nico stated, using the thought as a distraction. He didn't want Eric, or Mr. West, he decided to call him, to go back and talk about his being left alone again.

"You're right," Mr. West agreed. "But you forgot that also soon, with the talent that you have, you'll have more loyal friends. I bet the Teen Awards Committee will also be."

Nico narrowed his eyes on him. "Aren't we being flashy today?" he asked, painting the rhetorical question with mild sarcasm.

Mr. West chuckled then shrugged. "Hey, I'm just telling the truth," he answered. The desire to have Nico on Mackenzie Falls became more powerful in his heart. He's determined not to let the boy go. He have heard rumors that the young lad had been ignored and disregarded several times by his own workmates, and he would try his best not to let that happen again. No. He could see himself in Nico. There was also a time that show business had been cruel to him, and no one helped him. Now that he's seeing it happen to another young actor, he wouldn't just stand by and let him fall apart, too.

Nico smiled. "See you later, Mr. West," he said.

"The taping for Matthew Connerway's first appearance will be on Tuesday," Mr. West informed Nico, putting a little pressure on each word. "I will tell the other producers that you got the character."

"But Mr. West--"

"I need the answer tomorrow night, okay?" Mr. West asked him, a grin re-plastered on his lips. He walked out of the cafeteria even before Nico could disagree.

~o~o~o~o~o~

Everybody was in high spirits when they entered the props room. People laughed louder tonight, the sketches were the most brilliant they've ever done, and everybody was just glad that the show went by smoothly. Most of the cast were also happy because they've been given free time by their other shows to rest tonight and tomorrow.

All was happy except for Nico, who thought about the offer throughout the whole day. He knew he messed up on a lot of things on tonight's show, all thanks to his lack of focus, so he had to improvise. It worked out pretty well, though, for the viewers still bought it. He knew in those moments that people were looking, and that his cast mates got irritated with him when he messed up, but he felt as if they were just his imagination. They weren't real; they weren't there at all. The reality was that he will be fired on _Saturday._ And someone had just offered him a job. Sure, it was for their long-time rival show "Mackenzie Falls", but it was still a job. His cast mates in So Random!, he concluded, might hate him and even deny his existence by ignoring him.

He didn't want that. Especially not when Grady and Sonny are among those people who might hate him.

But then again, what will he do if after he rejects the job? There wouldn't be anymore job offers that will be as easy to find as what Mr. West offered. Besides, Mr. West seemed nice. He looked like and acted like a father for him. He didn't look like a person who would just throw him away out in the cold when he didn't need him. No. He didn't. He also didn't seem like he would leave him all alone. No. He remembered the cast of Mackenzie Falls, and he smiled inwardly. Sure, they're snobbish, snotty, mean, spotlight-huggers, and the list will go on, but they also stick with one another. They don't look like they will leave him all alone and make him feel isolated. No. No, they don't.

Unknown to him, resentment was filling his heart. _So what if I leave them for the Falls? At least there might be a possibility that they would care for me. So what if all of you never talk to me again? Aren't you doing that already? So what if you will see me as a traitor? La di da. _Nico stopped himself from reasoning with hatred. He became scared for a moment. He hadn't left the show yet, and he's already changing into a monster.

"Nico, are you okay?" Sonny asked, her voice breaking into Nico's thoughts.

Nico woke up from his deep thinking and noticed that he was standing at the 'arch' entering the props room, looking downwards. He was startled by Sonny's question, but he still answered hastily. "Oh. Yeah, yeah," Nico answered, exerting a big amount of force to display a small smile in his lips.

Sonny glanced back to the others who sat expectantly on the couch. Sonny looked at them as if to say _I wonder what's wrong with Nico_, but they just responded with shrugs. She turned back to Nico, who was thinking again. "We're watching a movie," Sonny spoke again, "aren't you going to join us?"

Nico decided that he needs time alone to think about the matter. He looks at Sonny, as if confused, and replied with serious tone, "No. I'm going home."

The smile on Sonny's face slid a little, and anxiety whelmed her happiness. "Why?" she asked. She tried to grin and convince him to stay. "Come on, Nico. We have the movie _The Day the Earth Stood Still_. I know you want to watch that," she said, nodding mildly at him.

Nico remained firm. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," he said, dismissing himself.

Grady stood up from his seat and walked towards the two. He was albeit puzzled by the way Nico have been acting throughout the day, just like everybody else. "Is something wrong, man?" he asked him.

"No. I just need to go."

"I've notice that you've been avoiding us all day. Did we do anything wrong?"

"I'll see you guys tomorrow."

This response bothered Grady more. "But, this is ,like, the first time in days that all of us are going to spend time together again," he said. " Come on now. Don't isolate yourself," he jokingly added.

Nico looked at him, his face expression now blank. "I don't know. I guess I'm already used to the idea of being alone," he replied plainly. His words sent a strong blow to the people who heard it. Their minds went blank, and all they could think about was what Nico said. Maybe that was the reason why he was acting weird when they were around him. He walked out of the room, half-triumphant, half-defeated. He didn't want to be mean to them, he loves all of them with all of his heart, but the pressures and sadness that lived in his mind just caved in. He didn't have time to think, because his heart have been so hurt that it just spoke out.

Everyone in the room was dumbfounded. They always thought of Nico as a happy guy, as someone who would just smile even if he has a problem. They've seen him intensely, madly happy before, but they've never seen him this much hurt.

Oh, they felt it. They felt he was hurt, alright.

"What's his problem?" Tawni asked, dragging everybody's thoughts back in the props room.

"I think it's us," Sonny replied, realizing how the week must have gone for Nico. And how she herself was a part of isolating him.

________________________________________________________________________________

_**YES! I've finally finished this chapter! I'm just so glad that I could write the next one. Now, going back to this chapter, I hope you liked this. It might have A LOT of mistakes and errors, and I want to apologize for it. Please, tell me if you found something wrong, and I'll keep that in mind for future chapters. **_

_**I have a lot of work to do in my shoulders right now, and I'm just trying to do my best to accomplish all of them.**_

_**Anyways, as a spoiler, the next chapter would focus on Sonny and Nico only. The decision has been made, and someone's going to say goodbye. **_

_**Have a SPLENDID Sonnico day! =P**_

_**P.S: If you don't want any spoilers, just tell me in your review. Keep in mind, though, I will count who says no to the spoilers. Majority wins. **_

_**P.S.S: Oh my gosh. Anoop Desai sounded spectacular when he sang "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You". He almost melted my heart. I hope he gets AT LEAST to the top 4. **_


	6. Telling Her Goodbye

_**Author's Note: **__**Hey guys! I'm SO sorry I updated late! I had a lot of things going on at school for the past weeks. I hope you forgive me. So the spoilers have been decided and yay! Spoilers are here to stay! I'm glad you guys liked the spoilers. **_

_**Anyways, I've noticed that the story had become Nico-centric and if it's getting in your nerves, don't worry. From this chapter on, the POV would be switching from Sonny and Nico. It's still in the omniscient POV but, you get the picture.**_

_**Sonnico Fact! Have you guys noticed how in the past episodes, there have been more and more Chawni moments? And on times when Sonny gets in trouble, Nico always tries to save her? Hmm…what could that mean?**_

_**Holler to y'all and a special holler to trisha.218. Your story is getting exciting!**_

_**Peace!**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** Sonny With A Chance doesn't belong to me. It will always belong to Disney. There are merchandises mentioned here. They don't belong to me either.**_

_**_____________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

**Chapter 5**

**Telling Her Goodbye**

_"Tell me what?"_

_"About the job. I'm taking it, if it's still open."_

_"Oh. Of course it is! Wow. I'm happy about your decision! Maybe you should call your manager right away, and we can schedule your contract signing tonight? Maybe at 9 pm so you could get some rest for tomorrow's taping?"_

_"Yes, sir. Maybe…"_

_"Nico?"_

_No response._

_"Nico? Can you hear me?"_

_Nothing._

_"Kiddo?"_

S0nn!cOWiThAcHanCeS0nn!cOWiThAcHanCeS0nn!cOWiThAcHanCeS0nn!cOWiThAcHanCeS0nn!cOWiThAcHanCeS0nn!cOWiThAcHanCeS0nn!cOWiThAcHanCeS0nn!cOWiThAcHanCe

Sonny's eyes threatened to close. However, she fought to keep it open. She was lying down on a prop crib from the "Baby Waah-waah" sketch, which was surprisingly comfortable. A soft, pink pillow hugged her head into relaxation while the almost-thick cushion of the crib numbed her body towards sleep. _No. I've got to stay awake,_ she told herself. She could've walked to her dressing room to take her much-needed nap, but she didn't want to. It would just make her fall asleep all the way, and she wouldn't be able to talk to Nico.

It bothered her a lot that Nico had been aloof to them. Yesterday AND today. He also seemed cold. She could feel the hurt in his eyes, the silent anger every time he spoke, and the sadness when he stares into somewhere far. All day, she wondered what he might be thinking. There was one instance earlier that day when, she was sure, she saw him smile. Not long afterwards, the smile fell off his face. He looked like he regretted what he did.

All day, she wished she could read his mind.

_Maybe if I close my eyes,_ she thought to herself. Gently, her eyelids enveloped her eyes, and it gave her a feeling of triumph. _Maybe I'll be able to know what he have been thinking all along…_

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"Kiddo, are you okay?" Marshall asked Nico with anxiety.

Nico opened his eyes, catching his breath. "Oh. I'm sorry, Marshall," he apologized while clutching his own shirt tightly.

"Do you need medics? I'll call one right away--"

"No, Marshall. No. I was just--I was just dreaming."

Marshall just nodded, but the 'alarmed' expression on his face didn't wear off until after a few seconds later. "I'm sorry I took long. I had to talk to Derek about something." _Derek_. Nico remembered the name almost instantaneously. "Well, what can I do for you, Nico?"

Nico sat up. He breathed deep. His heart pounded. "I want to talk to you about my contract," he valiantly stated.

He noticed the tension on Marshall's face. Nico knew what he thought. His contract on the show would expire next Saturday. Just when they're going to fire him. Knowing Marshall, he would think of ways how to break down the news to Nico as gently as possible. "Nico--"

"I want to terminate it."

Marshall was pushed back by Nico's request. "I'm sorry?"

"Marshall, I want to get out of the show."

"Wha-- But, why?"

He debated whether to say it or not, but Marshall had to know. "The show doesn't need me anymore," Nico shrugged, faking a smile on his lips. Tension rose up in Marshall. "The others will be a good cover for me."

Marshall knew. It was an almost exact paraphrase of what he told Derek Casey the other night. However, he chose not to ask Nico if he really heard the particular conversation. If he did, it would create more bumps on the rocky conversation they were having. "You're making a hasty decision."

He shook his head gently.

"Then why don't you spend your last moments with your friends at this show? You don't have to go so early."

"I understand, Marshall. I don't have to. I _need_ to." Marshall became worried. He began tapping his fingers quietly on his desk. Nico could tell that he was thinking of other things to reason out to him so he'd stay a little longer. "Don't worry about it. It's no one's fault," Nico said to ease Marshall's building anxiety.

"What about your manager?"

"She will be here in fifteen minutes," he replied with a smile. This time, though, it wasn't forced. He stood up. "You're a wonderful man to work for, Marshall. I hope the show would do great. Goodbye." He walked out of the door. He didn't know why, but he felt a big load of guilt taken off his shoulders. Maybe it's because finally, he's free again.

Not for long, of course. But at least he had a little while.

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The studio was quiet when Nico began walking around. Back in Marshall's office, his manager and the "bosses" of the show talked about his removal. Sally, his manager, knew the reason why he wanted to resign, but he asked her not to tell them. For him, it might result to a consternation too early.

He savored the coolness of the silent studio. The air was soothing. It had the tendency to be cold but overall, it was just right. He closed his eyes. He could hear no audience. There were no clapping, no whistling, no cheering, and no laughter. What he could only hear was the clicking of his feet after colliding with the floor. He could smell the faint scent of the dessert cart. Tarts, cupcakes, éclairs…almost everything he have always loved, he could smell. He smiled. A thought popped up in his mind. Dessert cart in Mackenzie Falls. He had been there once, when they were trying to take Sonny back, and he fell in love with the sweets they had. Especially the chocolate fountain.

He thought next of their food. _I wonder if they have junk foods,_ he said in his mind. _Aren't they vegetarians? Yeah. I think they--_ He bumped into something hard, and it mostly hurt his stomach. He opened his eyes, then saw a big crib's head board sticking out. "Oh, geez," he managed to whisper. "What's this doing in here anyways?" He tried to move the crib to another place, but it was too heavy.

Push again, but it only shook a little.

Again. Nothing. It was as if he was just trying to shake the crib.

"Five more minutes, mom," someone pleaded.

Nico narrowed his eyes. He argued whether to be scared or not? To run away in terror because someone just spoke out of nowhere, or just ignore it? "Is anybody there?" he called out.

"I'm still milking the cow," that someone muttered.

"Milking the cow?! What the hey--" Nico walked to the side of the crib, then saw Sonny peacefully slumbering in it. He placed a hand in his hips and shook his head. Afterwards, he squatted down, leveling his head with Sonny's. "Sonny, what are you doing?"

"AAAHHH!!!" Sonny screamed. Nico fell back on the floor. "Mom! MOM! The cow could talk!"

"Shh!" Nico hushed her. He looked around, making sure no one mistook the scream for something else. After seeing everything's clear, he pushed his hand against the floor for leverage and went back to his position. "Sonny! It's Nico!"

"Nico…" she muttered.

"Yes."

"What are you doing inside our cow?"

"Uh…Uh…" Nico thought of something to say, without making Sonny scream again. "I'm not inside your cow. I'm in your head. I'm, uh, your conscience!"

"Really?" she asked in a hushed voice. He noticed that her face remained undisturbed. _She looks like an angel,_ Nico whispered in his head. _Wait! Focus, Nico! _"How come I didn't know that?" she asked.

"'Cause! I don't want you to know right away." Sonny didn't respond anymore. "What are you doing in here anyways?"

"I wahs…I…"

"Was what, Sonny?"

"I was waiting for you."

_That's odd. Why would she do that?_ "Why?" He sat down on the floor, interested on Sonny's response. For the first time, Sonny was the one waiting, not him. He liked it, simply because he felt that somehow she cared for him.

"Because you're mad at me."

"What? No! Why would I be?"

"You…tell me. You've been avoiding us lately." Nico thought about it. He was scarred by their ignoring of him. That's why he had been avoiding them. "You're a bad conscience," Sonny whispered, her tone tinted by a little anger.

He looked at her face. He didn't mean to make Sonny feel bad. He was tired, he knew, but she didn't have to get involved. She didn't have to feel as if she had been a bad friend. She didn't have to. "I know," Nico nodded. "I'm sorry."

"I'm…too…"Sonny tried to mumble something. "I'm hungry."

Nico chuckled. "You can eat tomorrow when you wake up." _Tomorrow._ That's the second word that jumped to him like a lion. "Sonny?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm leaving."

"For what?"

"I got another job somewhere else."

"You'll be someone else's conscience?"

"No. I'll be someone else's employee, and somebody else's workmate."

"Why are you leaving?"

"I don't even know the real reason why," Nico shrugged. "But what I do know is, it's better off this way. I won't be scared of what will happen next, I won't be hurt…" Nico laughed painfully. "…and I won't be this dramatic anymore."

"Don't leave me," Sonny pleaded.

Her words stabbed his heart with pain. "_Don't leave me." I'll always remember that._ He smiled again._ I also wish I didn't have to. _"Maybe it's time for us to get you in your dressing room so you can sleep better. I also have to leave in just a minute." Nico stood up from the floor. He had his right arm scoop Sonny's back from the bed, while his left arm carried her knees. At first, he was adjusting his feet to gain a little more strength. After all, the 'sticks that' he 'calls arms', according to Zora, would not give him much help.

Slowly, he lifted Sonny up. At first, he was terrified he might break his back but as he had her in his arms, he noticed that she wasn't heavy at all. Sonny's head lulled in different directions but once it found Nico's chest, it remained there. Her arms also clung to Nico's neck, which made him smile. He walked carefully, afraid that he might drop Sonny.

Their dressing room's door was open. He tried to walk inside the room, but was unable to as something bumped on the doorpost. It sent him back a step. "Ow…" Sonny muttered. Her hand automatically touched her forehead, the thing that bumped on the doorpost.

"Oh. Sorry, Sonny," he apologized. He held her closer and tried to walk inside the room again.

As they got in, Nico sought in the darkness where Tawni's divan was. He walked towards it as soon as he saw it and gently, he placed Sonny down. Sonny felt the cushion on her back, and she let go of her hold on Nico. She turned to the side then fell into a deep sleep. Nico sighed. It had been one of the best moments of his life. Three minutes, to be exact. He was able to smell, and possibly remember, the scent of Sonny's silky hair. He held her in his arms. Above all, he felt that she trusted him.

He glanced at the clock. 8:46 pm. He had to go. He stared at her for the last time and silently, he bent down and gave her a kiss on the forehead. _After tonight, you'll hate me. _"Goodnight, Sonny," he whispered in her ear. He walked outside the door, glanced at her one last time, then closed the door slowly.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_**Yay! I'm done! I'm sorry if there's a lot of mistakes! I was hurrying. Anyways, I'll be waiting on those comments!**_

_**Spoiler:**__** Four words: Welcome to the Falls. You'll also see how everyone reacts to Nico's absence, and you'll also meet new characters! :D**_


	7. Welcome to the Falls

_**Author's Note:**__** Hey guys! How are you doin'? I'm feeling a little bit of slaphappy today. XD Anyways, here's the sixth chapter of this story and I should say, it would be somehow shorter than the past chapters. The seventh chapter would also be the same. It's because these chapters will be kind of like transitional chapters.**_

_**Tady fact! Sorry, no sonnico facts this chapter. I think Tawni and Grady were SO ADORABLE on that episode "Battle of the Network Stars"! So cute! I might include Tady in this fic!**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I have to keep doing this, guys. Sonny with a Chance does not belong to me. It belongs to Disney and its creators. The poem "I Would Live In Your Love" is by Sara Teasdale while "How Do I Love Thee" is by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Nothing belongs to me (except for this fic's plot).**_

_**_______________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

**Chapter 6**

**Welcome to the Falls**

"I don't know, Tawni," Sonny brooded, her arms crossed. "For some reason, my mind keeps telling me that my conscience have left me."

Tawni scanned Sonny from head to toe. "Conscience, I'm not sure," she scoffed, "but I think it's your fashion sense that had been doomed."

Sonny looked down at what she was wearing. Her gray tee with a faint electric guitar imprinted, she knew, was beyond reproach. Tawni herself have recommended for her to buy that. Then her skirt. She smirked. The plaid skirt she was wearing--that was it. "It's for one of the sketch. I'm wearing it now so that I don't have to change for dress rehearsals later," she responded.

Tawni shrugged, then started examining her nails. "Maybe you just didn't have a good night's sleep," Tawni said, intending to answer Sonny's earlier comment. "Sleeping in a dressing room isn't the same as sleeping on your own bedroom, you know."

_Maybe_, Sonny agreed. She sighed. As she looked up, she saw an albeit puzzled Grady making his way towards them. "Hey, Grady," she greeted, though none too happily. "What's the matter?"

"Have you guys seen Nico?" he asked both girls with urgency. They shook their heads. Sonny noticed anxiety rise as Grady sighed.

"Why are you asking us? You're the closest to him," Tawni replied, feigning nonchalance.

"I haven't seen him around."

"Maybe he's just in the cafeteria. The fro-yo machine's unguarded and open at this time of day," Sonny suggested.

"Really?" Grady enthused, the urgency of Nico's absence fluttering out of his mind for a split second. He shook his head, as if shaking the thought of the open fro-yo machine out of his mind, and got serious again. "Oh, forget that for a minute. Guys, I've looked everywhere. Trust me. _Everywhere._"

"Maybe he's not just feeling well today. Took a leave."

"I called his apartment. He's not there."

"Maybe he needed vacation--"

"I called his mom. She said he's not at their house. I called his manager. She didn't answer her phone, but I take to it that she doesn't know where he is either."

Tawni sat up in her chair. "Then where in the world is Nico?" she asked, her voice attempting contempt and anxiety at the same time.

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It was quiet and dim when Nico entered the set of Mackenzie Falls, and it made him more nervous. He told himself the night before not to be. Especially not in front of Chad Dylan Cooper. As he swiveled his head to the left, he noticed that there was an ongoing taping taking place. He silently walked towards the director, then stood beside him.

Mackenzie Falls' director, Matt Orwell, or Mo, as Mr. West introduced him, regarded Nico with a swift nod. Nico turned next to watch the scene being taped. As he expected, Chad was in it. He stood there with hurt expression on his face. There was also a girl, but she wasn't Portlyn. She had dark hair, piercing blue eyes, and pink lips suited for smiling…a face of an angel. She was sitting on an old sofa with a looming expression.

Chad turned his back to her. "I always wonder how to tell you I love you," Chad, or Mackenzie, he should say, said, a feigned brokenhearted tone in his voice. Nico struggled to keep quiet as he remembered the line and what he thought of it. He wanted to laugh, but he covered his mouth instead. "But I'm too scared. You have to forgive me if I leave the Falls."

When Chad turned around with tears lingering in his eyes, Nico lost it. His hand helplessly slid off his mouth, and a loud laugh bubbled from him. Everyone in the set turned to look at him. He tried to cover his mouth again, but neither of his hands moved.

He just chuckled.

Chad wiped the tears off his eyes with fury. "Who laughed? Who. LAUGHED?" he demanded. "Who dared to laugh when Chad Dylan Cooper is acting?" Everybody glanced at everybody, searching for a confession. Some were irritated, but some were afraid for the person who did laugh. Mostly, there was fear.

But Nico wasn't feeling any of the latter.

"The same person who thinks cheese pants are awesome," he answered steadily. Because of the blinding lights shining down the set, Chad had to squint to see who responded to him. However, it wasn't any help. Then the lights turned on, and he saw who it was.

"You?!" Chad scornfully exclaimed. He wanted to scream Nico's name with such anger. The only thing was, he couldn't remember it. He charged towards him. "Whatever your name is, what are you doing in my set?" he asked. Chad noticed that Nico was wearing an identical outfit as his: long sleeves, neck tie, jacket. Mackenzie Falls cast member outfit. "And what are you doing in those clothes?" he yelled out in anger.

"Easy there, chief. You might give yourself a heart attack," Nico answered him calmly.

A possible reason for Nico's presence and outfit came to Chad. "Oh no, you don't," he said. "You're not going to make fun of my show!"

Chad's eyes, Nico noticed, were full of anger. There was also uncertainty behind them, perhaps terror that if ever So Random! really made fun of their show, people would buy it and just laugh at the drama show. _His_ show. Somehow, Nico found himself enjoying Chad's freaking out. "What will you do if I did?" he taunted, smiling slyly at Chad.

Rage flushed in Chad's head. He grabbed Nico's clothes, on the shoulders, then started yanking him back and forth. It's as if he's trying to shake him out of his clothes. "Take this jacket off! It doesn't belong to you! Take it off!"

Some of the crew were hesitating to go and break up the fight. They didn't want to get yelled at by Chad. That would be like disturbing a big grizzly bear while it's searching hungrily for food in a picnic basket.

Nico gripped Chad's arms, then tried to push it away. "What are you doing?" he asked, half-giddy, half-happy. He felt that his heart was singing out of joy, seeing Chad helplessly consumed with his own emotions. Chad continued to shake him out of his jacket.

Well, maybe it wasn't happiness at all. Maybe it wasn't his heart singing. Perhaps it's his stomach grumbling, ready to eject the breakfast he just had.

"Cooper!" someone called out. At that moment, Chad stopped, then dropped Nico on the cold floor. "What are you doing to Nico?"

The man spoke with authority, and Nico was sure he had met him before. _Just last night,_ his mind seemed to suggest. _Go West._ Whether it was Mr. West or not, he did not know. All he cared about was his life that was probably slipping out of his grasp. Because now, all he could see was light.

"He's a cast member from Chuckle City, sir," Chad answered tensely. "They're going to make fun of us. I just wanted to stop it."

"He's not going to do that."

"But, sir, I--"

"No. That's also why I want everyone to gather around. I have an announcement to make. Remember when…"

Nico felt someone helping him to sit up. The world started to tilt. He couldn't open his eyes just yet. "Are you alright?" he heard someone ask him. The voice was smooth and pleasing to hear.

He pried his eyes open. As it did, he saw a girl--the same girl that was in the scene with Chad earlier--looking at him with concern. His lips curled into a smile. "Yeah. Now that I saw you," he answered. The girl rolled her eyes, but still reciprocated his smile.

"…Matthew Connerway? You all remembered, right?" Mr. West asked. Nico turned to see everyone nod. "Well, we found the person who would be do the part. I chose him myself 'cause I know this guy has something to contribute to the show."

"Why don't we get you to stand up?" the girl offered. Nico poised his knees to stand, and the girl pulled him up.

"Thanks," he muttered.

"Is he a new actor?" Chad asked, almost too eagerly. Mr. West looked at him with a sharp expression. "I-I just asked, Mr. West, sir, 'cause amateurs are a little hard to work with. I'm just concerned with the time."

Mr. West sighed. "No, Chad. He's not a new actor, but he's new with drama."

Chad clapped his hands together. "That's fine, sir. I can help him to be right at the bat."

"Suck up," the girl said under her breath.

"Uhm-hmm," Nico agreed.

Mr. West smiled. "Matthew Connerway, why don't you come over here so everyone could meet you," he invited.

Nico stepped towards Mr. West. Some jaws dropped and eyes followed. Chad felt his brain stop working for a moment. "Hey," Nico greeted them with a shy smile. "I'm Nico Harris. Just in case you don't know me."

"You?!" Chad spoke with incredulity. "But, why? You can't be in my show!"

"Thanks, Chad. I think I'm going to enjoy working with you, too."

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"Where's Nico, Marshall?" Grady asked.

All but Nico were present for the dress rehearsal of the skit _School Guide 101_. The props were properly in place at that moment, all lines had been read, and the cameras were ready. However, it still felt wrong to see that they were missing a cast member. Sonny thought that maybe it was none of their concern, Nico's whereabouts, but she thought that they should be allowed an idea. It could at least stop them from worrying.

Marshall looked up at them once with a tint of nervousness in his eyes, then he returned to reading the skit's script once more. Sonny also noticed that his feet were restless; they kept shifting. He also looked crushed. It was evident on the way he sighed.

They looked at each other. "Marshall?" Tawni called him. Apparently, she also noticed his rather strange behavior. "Is there something you want to tell us?"

He sighed again. _He has to be really frustrated,_ Sonny thought worryingly. _I wonder why?_ "Nico's not here…"

"We know," Grady answered.

"…anymore."

The three creased their eyebrows in unison. "What do you mean by _anymore_?" Grady asked.

"He's not here with us anymore."

"You mean he's DEAD?!" Tawni asked, shell-shocked.

"No. That's not what I meant." Marshall paused for a bit before speaking again. "He won't be with us. He doesn't work here anymore."

"Huh?" Sonny asked, more confused.

"He's fired, okay?" Marshall burst out, a little irritated. "I fired him."

"WHAT?" Grady and Tawni asked in chorus.

"His contract is terminated. Just last night."

"But…why?" Tawni asked, tears almost in her eyes.

"It wasn't because he did something. He didn't do anything wrong. It's just that…" Marshall struggled whether to tell them the truth or not. That he was going to fire Nico the coming Saturday anyways so when Nico offered to drop out of the show, he just took it. However, he didn't want to lie either. "Our show has a problem. It's too complicated--"

"No, no, no. You couldn't leave it like that. Please, Marshall," Sonny insisted.

"I won't tell you the real problem," Marshall replied, regretting that he sat somewhere where his cast members could easily find and question him. "But what I'd tell you is that he left by choice."

"And you didn't stop him," Grady muttered silently.

"I had no choice. I'm sorry."

Everyone fell silent. Nico. Fired. These words didn't make sense to Sonny as they were placed in one idea. Sure, Nico acts a little too hyper at times, but he doesn't deserve what he got. Sonny looked over to Tawni and Grady. They'd been with Nico longer than she'd been.

Tawni was silent. Disbelief was written all over her face. Sonny always thought that Tawni wouldn't care less until it was herself that was fired. Turned out she was wrong. Grady looked confused. The way Sonny was seeing him, he was in deep thought. Perhaps, she guessed, he was thinking of any reason why it came up to this. It was rather rude of Nico to just leave and don't say anything. And considering the fact that he was kicked out of the show? Couldn't he have just at least sent them a text message saying '_hey, I'm fired. Bye._'?

Sonny turned to her own feelings. She remembered how Nico seemed upset the last time she saw him. She knew that it had to be something they had done, because she saw deep hurt in his eyes. She also meant to talk to him last night, but was unable to.

However, a short snippet of a memory came into mind. _"I'm leaving." _Nico's voice told her. She couldn't remember seeing his face, but she could remember the sadness in his voice. Her heart seared with pain. Why didn't she wake up? Why didn't she stop him? _"For what?" _she asked. He answered.

Another wave of heartache came, together with a dash of guilt.

She couldn't remember the answer.

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"Are you ready?" Mr. West asked Nico, whispering.

Nico exhaled and quickly nodded. He adjusted the thin-rimmed glasses that he wore, completely for the show's purpose. "I think so."

"You read the script, right? And memorized it?"

"Ay, ay, captain."

Mr. West smiled. "Don't worry. You can do it," he encouraged the nervous boy in front of him.

"Places everyone!" Mo shouted. People scrambled in different places. Some ran with make up kits on their hands, others with either props or recording materials.

Truth to be told, Nico wasn't the most confident guy on the set that moment. He felt his legs tremble, his breath shaking, and his shoulders tensing. Usually, him and the camera go well together; there wasn't any awkwardness. Now that he was on the set of their rival TV show, all changed.

"Scene," Mo declared. _No backing out,_ he told himself. "Action!"

They were in a school classroom setting. The desks were made of solid wood, unlike other normal school desks. There was a bookshelf, resting in solitary at the left corner of the room. The windows' drapery also looked elaborate. _I would NEVER be able to pay tuition if I go to this school,_ he thought. He continued to act like he was completely lost in a book he was reading while he was facing the bookshelf.

He heard the girl he met earlier and Portlyn enter the room. "You have to forget him, Heather," Portlyn consoled the girl. "It wouldn't be of any good if you always think of Mackenzie."

The girl sighed. Nico thought that he should've asked her name earlier. Using the phrase _the girl_ as reference to her just sounded wrong. "How could I do that?" she asked. "He told me he loved me, and then left. Now, tell me, how could I?"

"Forget, Heather. Forget," Portlyn stated, as if her delivery could win an award. "I will see you later." Nico heard feet walking out of the room with hesitance.

There was a sigh. She sat at a desk near him, then took out a small book. She opened it and read. According to the script, she was supposed to read aloud a poem by Sara Teasdale. "_I would live in your love as the sea-grasses live in the sea, Borne up by each wave as it passes, drawn down by each wave that recedes; I would empty my soul of the dreams that have gathered in me_," she read. "Um…"

_Go get it,_ Nico's mind urged him. "_I would beat with your heart as it beats, I would follow your soul as it leads,_" he finished. He turned around slowly, book still clad in his hands.

She smiled. He smiled. "You know who wrote this poem?"

He nodded slowly. "Sara Teasdale," he answered humbly.

She looked down, cheeks tinting a little. "Lovely poem, wasn't it?" Nico placed the book he was holding back to the shelf, then began searching for a new one. Or at least he _pretended_ to look for a new one. "I've always adored love poems. I find them unique."

"Have you read Elizabeth Barrett Browning's 'How Do I Love Thee'?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not."

He thought of Sonny before he said his next line. He knew she was a sweet girl and most likely, she would've loved hearing love poems. "The last line was the best. _I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death._" He turned to her again. "It's actually unusual for a guy to like poetry. I won't mind if you think that I'm weird."

"I don't think you are," she answered, her smile spread wider. "It's rather sweet on your part."

He giggled. "Matthew Connerway_," _Nico introduced himself. "I've just moved in town a couple of days ago."

"Heather Locke_,"_ she said. "Welcome to the Falls_."_

"Cut!" Mo commanded triumphantly. He clapped his hands, so did the other crew members. "Terrific job, Nico!"

Nico scratched the back of his neck. "Thanks," he said shyly.

"Brilliant! You had me at the edge of my seat!" Mr. West praised.

"You know, she did better than me."

"Right," the girl loosely agreed.

"Okay, everyone. Take fifteen!"

People dispersed in different directions quickly. "They're tired alright," he muttered silently.

"You're too modest, you know," the girl commented, her arms crossed. "You did great."

He looked at her. "If it was great, then it wasn't because of me. It's because of the other person. Me? I just go with the flow."

"Too modest, Nico. You won't last long in this show if you keep that attitude."

"And if I kept it? Are you going to call the police?" She laughed. "What's your name, by the way?"

She smiled. "Rhianne Anderson. You could call me Ree."

"Ree?" Nico asked, grinning. "You want me to call you that?"

"Why? You want to call the police?" she retaliated. It was Nico's turn to laugh.

Some of the crew members went towards them to give Nico their warm 'congratulations' and 'good jobs'. Nico accepted it and thanked them. The day didn't turn out bad. Not as bad as he thought it would turn, considering Chad's welcoming act. He met a new member (that he wished would be a friend to him sometime soon), and learned a little bit more about the Mackenzie Falls' crew.

Behind the curtain, however, someone was darting him a furious glare. In his mind, he planned. He planned of ways to eliminate Nico and cut his glory quickly.

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_**Done! Now, I don't know if that was short or what. All I know is that it's done! Anyways, I would **__**LOVE**__** to hear from you guys. Reviews are this story's life line so please, leave a review. I would be ecstatic if I received even a 'good'. **_

_**Spoiler:**_**You bet your baby blues that a war will be at its start next chapter! There's also a new character! Alexander Williams! He has a connection with Ree, and you guys will find out about that next chapter!**

**Oh, and hey to Falloutboy99, LilytheSilly, avation, and my fanfic bud, trisha.218! Hope you guys liked it!**

**Peace! {=O**


	8. Climb and Dive

_**Author's Note:**__** Holla! So here's the deal. The reviews that I received last chapter were so great, I'm going to give you guys a snippet (still in rough draft form, though) of the eighth chapter for the spoiler! Ooh! I'm excited to give that to you guys!**_

_**Sonnico Fact! Have you guys noticed that every single time a mistake happens, Nico is always the one who calls Sonny? He called her on the episode "Promises, Prom Misses" and the recently shown epi, "Prank'd". I'm betting that that's not just by accident.**_

_***Oh, and before I forget. I reread the last chapter, and I was terrified to see the typos and grammatical errors I made! I am so sorry! That is so embarrassing… I ask you guys to forgive me. I'm still horrible at this.***_

_**Warning:**__** There are parts in this chapter that implies bullying. I should also warn you that this chapter's rather long. The longest even.**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I do not own Sonny with a Chance. If I did, well…you know how it's going to be. The first 'scene' s' idea came from this joke e-mail that my mom received, so clearly that is not mine either. Only the brand 'Christina Sevonna' belongs to me. Narnia don't, too.**_

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Chapter 7**

**Climb and Dive**

"Left."

"Right."

Nico chuckled as he watched Portlyn focus on the television. "Portlyn, I tell you, he is going to the left." His statement landed on deaf ears. He watched as the guy on the screen walked towards the left tunnel a moment later. Afterwards, he ran out from it as he was being chased by a ninja. A small smile crept up Nico's face. "See! I told you."

Portlyn crossed her arms, pouted her lips, then leaned back to the sofa.

Her actions made Nico feel guilty, pushing him to sigh in resignation. "To tell you the truth, I've seen this movie already. That's why I knew what he's going to do next," he admitted.

"I did, too! I just thought he wouldn't go back to that tunnel again," she replied innocently. Nico heard some of the Mackenzie Falls' cast members sniggering behind them. He turned his head towards their direction. They looked away quickly, but not quick enough so as not to detect the mockery in their grins. "You're good at movies," Portlyn said, smiling, but her tone admitted defeat.

His mind was telling his body to stifle a chuckle, but his conscience wouldn't let him. He felt horrible, seeing how her cast mates have been treating her. It was bad enough to have jerk workmates. Especially if Chad Dylan Cooper is one of them.

"Let me tell you a secret," Nico whispered, leaning closer so she could hear him. "Most of the time, I fall asleep twenty minutes after a movie starts. And then, after that? I just go on the internet to read what happened on that movie."

Portlyn giggled. Nico leaned back on the chair, contented. "Really?" she delightfully asked, her eyes gleaming like a little child.

"Yeah."

"I should do that, too."

"Seven minutes before scene thirteen!" Mo announced, causing a stir among the cast members and the crew members.

Nico stood up, nodding. "I know just the perfect website," he told Portlyn.

"I'll see you later," she said while walking towards their assigned set.

"Do great at your scene!"

Portlyn twirled around. "Don't I always?" she asked, a wide grin dominating her lips.

Nico chuckled. After he saw her vanish amidst the commotion on the set, he walked towards the pastries cart. He had an excellent breakfast, all thanks to the provision of the producers. However, he found himself still longing for more sweet treats. As he spotted a lone, mouth-watering crème brûlée sitting on the cart, he reached for it.

Another hand grabbed it away.

"Hey!" Nico exclaimed, looking up at the perpetrator who stole his dessert. The guy have the same blue eyes, though his were icy, and dark hair like Rhianne's. He also looked like he was the same age as her. "I was getting that," he added.

The other continued to eat the dessert, rather nonchalant of Nico's presence. "So?" he asked. "It's not my fault you're slow."

Nico raised his eyebrows, then placed his hands on his hips. "I'm not slow," he defended. "But you, you're just too rude to--"

"Okay. I don't know about you, but I'm not up to any good manners lesson right now," the guy told him sarcastically, all the while looking at him with his cold eyes. Nico was getting angry but tried to suppress his feeling with all his might. "Here," the guy said, then shoved the crème brûlée towards the Nico's jacket, sending him a step back. The custard splattered all over Nico's shirt, then his tie, all of which made his jaw drop. "Nico Harris, the greatest actor, could use some, right?" he added surly, eyes squinting. After that, he walked away.

Nico knew that all he could do for the moment was close his mouth and clean the mess on him. As he walked towards his dressing room, he couldn't help but think how his week had been. It was as if everybody hated him.

His second-day memory at the show flashed in his mind. He was just walking towards his dressing room after a scene with Rhianne. As he opened the door, a bucket of cold water toppled over him, leaving him all drenched. Afterwards, he heard a "Welcome" from Chad, with the other cast members, minus Ree, snickering behind him.

On his fourth day, when the show's chef-prepared lunch was brought in, no one told him about it. He was starving like crazy! He ended up ordering a pizza instead. An hour later, after the lunch break, Mr. West told him, "It's a surprise you didn't eat lunch with us. I told the kids to call you, because that was your welcome lunch." In Mr. West talk, 'kids' equals the cast members.

Yesterday, when he came in his dressing room to get ready, he saw that all of his slacks were missing. They were replaced by neon green and yellow cheese pants. It took him fifteen minutes to find his slacks, then get ready. When he came to the set, Mo barked at him for being really late.

Today, someone decided to mess up his uniform. _No one said it's going to be easy, _he told himself. _Good thing is, you're not in the next scene. _He entered his dressing room, then turned the light on. He looked around cautiously at first and when he decided it was safe, he headed towards the couch.

As he slumped on it, he noticed that there was something broken lying on the floor. He bolted up, then was shocked by the anger that electrified his whole body. "No!" he yelled out, kneeling beside the broken object. On the floor was the souvenir Sonny gave him when she went home to Wisconsin for a week. It was a porcelain figurine with a cute cow and his name stuck beside it.

Now, it's nothing but pieces and shards of glasses.

Silently, he picked all of it up . For all they know, Nico's anger is going to break loose.

………………………………_.................._

"I got your horse. Check," Grady said slowly, boredom eating him alive. His right hand rested under his cheek while he was staring insipidly at the chess board.

"Got your queen. Check," Zora announced, her enthusiasm none too different than Grady's.

Grady pouted, then crossed his arms. "This is boring," he complained. "If Nico was here, I won't be doing this. We would be chatting with one of the lunchbox girls from 'Meal or No Meal' ."

"Well, you're no Zac Efron either!" Zora yelled back. "You don't hear me complaining about it!"

"Hmph…" Grady sulked.

"Why are you guys yelling at each other?" Tawni asked as she entered the props room.

Zora leapt down from her chair then headed towards the fridge. "I don't know. Ask sour patch," she responded, gesturing towards Grady with a nod. "He's been like that since last week. Nico this, Nico that. We would be eating this, we would be watching that…"

Tawni ignored Zora's sour tirade and walked besides Grady. The latter had his head down, his eyebrows creased. Tawni smiled sadly at him, "Don't worry, Grady. We'll see him sooner or later."

Grady looked up and forced a smile to his lips. "I hope so."

"It will be so," Tawni assured him. "What Tawni says, happens! Plus, I don't think Tweedle Dee would go farther than where Tweedle Dum can find him." With that, Tawni left. She scuttled towards the couch, then rested on a seat in front of the TV.

Grady chuckled inwardly."Where's Sonny?" he asked. He walked towards the couch, then sat on the far left, opposite Tawni. "Our show's about to start."

"I'm here!" Sonny declared, her head sticking out from the props room's archway. She walked in, panting, with a Yorkshire Terrier following her trail towards the fridge. "Sorry. I had to take Ginger Ale for a walk."

"Hey, Sonny, get me a soda from the fridge, will ya? Please?" Grady asked. Sonny replied with a nod.

Zora settled in between Tawni and Grady. She picked up the remote and turned the TV on.

"You need to get that dog a new name," Tawni commented. "She might become too resentful of you one day." Her breathing became a little heavy as a painful memory flashed in her mind. Grady turned to look at her and saw that she was staring into empty space with much wrath. "She might start to bite you, eat your Teen Weekly magazines, destroy your bags…I don't know. Or worse, she might turn your Christina Sevonna shoes into chew toys."

Sonny slowly handed Grady his drink, her eyes mildly squinting at Tawni. Grady took a sip from his drink and when Sonny had settled on the couch, he whispered, "She had a puppy named Mr. Bubbles. It was…" he trailed off, shuddered, then continued, "horrible."

"If I had that name, I'd act horrible, too," Zora muttered under her breath before turning back to the television. "Ah, no… Mackenzie Falls is still on..."

Sonny looked around the props room. She felt that it was rather sad and odd, now that Nico was gone. He could have made a joke by now about their rival show. Of course, at times she stopped herself from laughing too hard. Chad _does_ belong to that show. But sometimes, in all honesty with herself, she found Nico's humor more compelling than Chad's acting. _I know that's awful and all, but--_

_I'm leaving_, Nico's sad voice echoed in her mind once more. As she leaned back on the couch, Sonny found herself thinking "_Don't". It's too late for that now, _she thought. She shook her head slightly. Somehow, moments like this makes her think that she might be missing Nico more than anyone else does.

"I really wonder where Nico is. I've tried to contact him and everything," Grady mentioned before drinking the beverage in his hand. Sonny glanced at him, finding it weird that he spoke what she thought.

"Next week at the Falls…a new boy arrives…that will make the story more complicated…," the TV announced.

Tawni smirked at the screen. "As if it's not complicated enough," she answered. As if on cue, a scene appeared on the TV screen that sent all of them sitting erect on the couch.

"Matthew Connerway," Nico introduced himself, smiling.

Sonny gasped.

Tawni's jaw dropped.

Zora stared at the screen with a shocked expression looming on her face.

Grady spit out the drink he was drinking, sprinkling some of it on the air.

"Heather Locke," Rhianne Anderson said, sweetly extending her hands to him. "Welcome to the Falls."

Zora was the first one to speak. "Was that…?" she asked, petrified.

Grady shook his head. "No. No! Of course it isn't!" he responded with a nervous laugh.

Tawni grabbed the remote from Zora, pressed Rewind, then pressed Play. "Matthew Connerway," Nico said once more, his tone seemingly taunting this time. Tawni pushed Pause. Frozen in the screen was their bespectacled friend, a contented smile in his face.

Zora stood up, her fists clenched tight. "He'd been in Mackenzie Falls ALL ALONG?!" she shouted angrily.

Sonny was beside herself, but she knew she had to defend him. "No. Maybe it's not what we think--"

"Oh, it is what we think it is!" Tawni yelled in angst. "That traitor! He left us for Mackenzie Falls!"

"Wait! Maybe he's just a guest--"

"No, he isn't," Zora pointed out. "How dare he do this to us? We're his friends and now… Now he's abandoning us?!"

"Grady?" Sonny quietly asked the blonde-haired boy sitting in silence beside her for reinforcement. By the frozen look in his face and the unrecognizable thought reflecting on his eyes, she knew she'd only lose. Still, she hoped. "Grady," she tried once more.

"He have always wanted a lot of things, but he told me he can't afford them," Grady spoke quietly. "I didn't know he'd do this just to get what he wants." After placing the remote on the couch, he stormed off.

Though her heart was aching for Grady, Sonny knew that he was wrong. She had not known Nico as long as the others had, but she knew that he was not greedy. She knows people. There was certainly a reason, an explanation why Nico's at Mackenzie Falls. _I'm leaving, _Nico told her again. "Guys," Sonny appealed to the other two. She was out of words, and all she could do was shake her head.

"Believe whatever you want, Sonny. He's still there and not here. He left us," Tawni replied, then followed Grady.

"I'll stick with my team, Munroe. If you won't, tell us. Don't leave us hanging like he did," Zora said icily, then pointed towards the paused picture on the TV screen.

She left.

_Why are you leaving? _a question of hers to Nico emerged from her mind. _I don't even know the real reason why_, Nico answered with the same sad voice. _But what I do know is, it's better off this way. _

_Don't leave me, _she remembered telling him. Sonny smiled sadly, "Not like this."

………………………………_.................._

"What are you doing?"

Nico swiveled his head to the left, only to see the same guy that showered him with the dessert earlier standing beside him. "What's it to you?" he snapped. He went back on setting up a hidden camera behind the towel cart. "And would you please back off? I can feel your breath on my neck."

The guy scoffed, but still stepped back. "Keeping grudges, aren't we?" he asked. Nico didn't respond. "Well, whatever. But if you're planning on doing any shenanigans--"

"Done," Nico cut him off. He glided towards the back of a prop--a big door, to be exact--then squatted down. As he took out a remote control, he noticed a shadow veiling the little light he had. He sighed. "Are you going to follow me around?" he looked up with much annoyance. " 'Cause if you're doing this just to say sorry, let me tell you. It's not working."

"In your dreams."

Nico raised an eyebrow. He rummaged through his backpack. "Then move away. You're blocking my light."

"Okay," he surrendered, then moved behind Nico. Keenly, he watched what the other was doing.

He heard people piling inside the meditation room. Giggles, laughs, and words were bubbling lively amidst the air. As he saw Nico smile, answers slowly darted on his questions. The room grew quiet a while later, but his mouth uttered no words.

Nico took out a toy rat from his bag. It was life-like and big: it has red, beady eyes, long, dark-grayish fur, and whiskers that stemmed out proudly from its pointed nose. He heard a sharp gasp behind him, but paid no attention to it. For him, it was just spoiler. "Go do your work," he whispered to the rat, his grin plastered wide on his face.

As Nico pushed a small button forward, it ran. Anticipation intoxicated his mind as he thought of how his victims would react. He held back the remote for a moment. _I would go with angsty boy behind me but clearly, he's out of the picture. _He grinned when a suggestion came to mind. He pushed the button forward again. The toy rat ran towards a meditating blonde boy.

Nico pressed another button, and the fake rodent made high-pitch squeaks.

"Hey. Guys. Be quiet," Chad commanded. He was aware that during meditation time, he should not stress himself, his voice especially. However, he found it hard to do because the squeaking continued. Every second, the sound grew louder and louder. "Guys. Quiet."

After a while, he felt something bump on his right knee. He opened his eyes angrily. "I told you guys not to--OH MY GOSH!!!!"

The rest of them opened their eyes, then had their hearts freeze as they saw the toy rat. Some of them quickly ran up on the chairs on the room, some ran out, while some jumped up and down as if the floor they were standing on was boiling hot with oil.

"There's a rat!"

"Somebody shoo it away!"

"Oh my goodness! It's following me!" Chad squealed. The rat followed him wherever he went, and that fact scared him so much that the thought of fainting sounded better and better every second.

Nico stepped out of his hiding place, breathless because of laughing. The other guy followed him, chuckling quietly behind. Nico pushed another button, and the toy stopped, then ran in reverse towards him.

"You?! Again?!" Chad spat out, his face glowing red with anger.

Nico wiped away the droplets of tears from his eyes, then picked up his toy. "Good boy," he whispered to it. He walked towards the towel cart to retrieve his camera. "Yes, Chad. Me. Again."

"What's your problem?" James Ryu asked, intimidated. Nico just shook his head, a wide smile on his face, and started rewinding the tape on his camera. "What if one of us got hurt?"

"With a toy? I don't think so."

"What's going on?" Rhianne asked as soon as she heard the heated questions being thrown about in the room. Portlyn in tow, they slid to Nico's side. "I heard you guys screaming and yelling."

No one bothered to answer her. "You might think that that was a fun game, but we don't. You broke all the rules we had for this room," Chad regarded Nico with a straight-face, though his tone was threatening. "What if something went wrong and one of us fell down a chair? Have you thought about that, huh? What if Mr. West came in? You know, he has health issues, and he can't deal with things like this."

"Can't bear to hear yourself squeal like a little girl?" Nico challenged.

"Don't change the subject, Nico."

"I haven't thought about that, but I know it's not going to happen," he answered. "I made sure he's not here."

Honestly, Chad made Nico somehow afraid for the past week. He knows that Chad holds the power on the cast. Because he disliked him, his week had been terrible. But today, he decided, he won't take a dive anymore.

"Because unlike you and your airhead followers, I make sure when I do things, I do it right. No one gets hurt. What about that cold bucket of water, Chad? Huh? Or the day all of you made me late? Did you think about how terrible it must have felt to be barked at? What about Sonny's gift? Have you thought about all of this?"

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know you were a princess," Chad replied, faking a hurt expression on his face. The cast behind him snickered.

Nico allowed an intimidated smile slip on his lips. He walked towards Chad. "You thought wrong, Chad. Very, _very _wrong. I'm sick and tired of you and your posse that I think I'm going to turn it all around."

"Really now?" Chad mused. Deep inside, there was panic rising. Just seeing Nico's stagnant expression made him a little doubtful that the other doesn't really mean what he said.

"Yeah," Nico nodded. "The thing that I did was just a basic. And I can't tell you _how much_ I can't wait to do the best pranks. So! Random didn't just teach me nothing." Nico drew closer. "The whole Mackenzie Falls cast…prank'd. Have all of you thought about that?"

"You can't do that."

Nico stepped back. "Watch me."

Mo's head popped up from the meditation room's entrance. "Kids, scene seventeen tapes in five minutes," he reminded. His eyes wandered from person to person. He could feel intensity in the room. Here was their veteran actor, looking all stressed and scared, while their newbie looked carefree and happy. Smiling, even. Why so? He wouldn't dare to ask.

"On your trail, Mo," Chad responded, his eyebrows creased. He followed Mo sluggishly as the director walked away, but from time to time he looked back at Nico. _No. That can't be. He wouldn't, would he? _he asked himself.

As the room emptied, leaving only the four of them, Rhianne turned to Nico. "Now that's the attitude I'm talking about," she told him. She smiled. "And you were scary, too."

Nico shrugged.

"You're not going to pull a prank on us, are you?" Portlyn asked, sounding a little more terrified than she intended to.

"No. On you girls, I won't," he promised. He stuffed his camera and the toy back to the bag. "That dude beside you, on the other hand, already have himself booked for the extreme prank."

The guy laughed. "The name's Alexander Williams, and I am looking forward to that prank. Let me tell you, though. I know every single one of the pranks written on the book."

"Oh, I'm not using _that_ book," Nico scoffed. "I have my own."

"Okay. I won't let that happen. My friend and my brother pulling pranks on each other will be way too embarrassing," Rhianne said.

"Your friend?" Alex asked, looking at Nico.

"Your brother?" Nico asked, looking at Alex.

Rhianne nodded. "Alex, meet my friend, Nico. Nico, meet my twin brother, Alex."

Nico shrugged, then held out his hand. "I'm looking forward to working with you."

Alex stared at Nico's hand icily, as if it was an arch nemesis' hand. "On the set or with the pranks?"

"Both."

Alex slapped his hand on Nico's, then shook it. _And Chad said that this guy's rude and narcissistic, _he thought. "Good to know I'm on your team."

………………………………_.................._

"Grady?"

"Oh. Hey, Tawni. What are you doing here?"

"I followed you. I figured you'd need someone to talk to."

Grady chuckled softly. "To talk about what happened, or to talk about you?"

Tawni sat beside Grady, a sad smile glued on her face. "Option two sounds good, but I don't think it will make you feel better." Both of them laughed softly. "Option one it is."

The door opened once more and produced a melancholic Zora. "Hey," she muttered. "I'm really sorry about Ni--"

"Don't even think about it," Grady commanded. "You know, it just feels horrible. Two weeks ago, we're okay. The next, he's acting crazy. Now, he's on our rival show. I think it's my fault."

"People change for strange reasons, Grady. This is definitely not your fault," Tawni replied. She slid her hand upon Grady's, then shook it slightly. "He chose to go there."

Grady shook his head. "I take back what I said in the props room. Nico's not greedy. He can't--"

"There's no other reason, blondie," Zora snapped at him, though quietly. "Or maybe there is. He's tired of us and our show, and now he decides to leave us. Have you forgotten how he left us when we had that movie night? He also didn't talk to us much."

Tawni narrowed her eyes. "He's becoming like Chad, and we didn't even detect it!"

"Correct."

"But I've been hearing that they've been making troubles for Nico, and I think--"

"That's not an excuse, Grady. For all I know, they just want him to do something for them. That's why they're making this "trouble" gossip. They want us to feel sorry for him so we would take him back. Guys, he's one of them now!" Zora convinced.

"And they want him to do what, exactly?" Tawni asked.

"I don't know. Spy?"

Tawni gasped. "That would make sense!" she said as if she had just realized a very important fact. "I heard that Amber Ameglio's having this skin problems. Maybe she wants to know what products I'm using to copy me!"

Zora smirked. "Knowing those people, I'd say they would claim your regimen as theirs."

Tawni gasped again. "No," she said in a low voice.

Grady creased his eyebrows. "What? Guys, come on. We're talking about _real_ reasons here."

Zora turned to him darkly. "They may also want to steal your map of Narnia."

Grady stood up, angry. "Oh that's outrageous!" he barked.

"I also have a formula that they might want for themselves," Zora muttered. "We shouldn't let Nico in here anymore! He knows the whole studio! It would be easy for him to--"

"Find our stuff!" Tawni finished.

"He shouldn't be near our studio anymore. We'll make sure he won't be, right?"

"Right," Tawni said.

"No. That's not enough. We need to protect everyone now. Marshall, the camera people…even Sonny!"

"But she's friends with Chad," Tawni objected.

"Not anymore. In wars like this, that's not possible." Grady said quietly.

On the other side of the door, Sonny pouted as she heard this. _But I don't want to fight anyone, _she protested in her mind.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_**Spoiler:**__"Of course! We're going to enjoy our--" Tawni looked down at the food on her tray, which consisted of broccoli, muffin, and what looks like mashed potato. "--food! Yes, we will."_

_"Good for you," Rhianne commented, but her tone was taunting. _

_"Well, hey. I hope you also enjoy your steaks, spaghettis…" Tawni paused for a bit, making sure she had everyone's attention before speaking again. Then, she stared at Nico with a sly smile. "…especially your ice, cold _traitor." _Their rivals and Sonny's jaws dropped. "Enjoy."_

_Rhianne bit her lip, then stood up. As she walked towards Tawni, she picked up a small soup bowl from the table, hiding this action behind her back. Nico knew what was going to happen and wished that he hadn't gone to the cafeteria with the rest of the cast. "You know, we also have an excellent crab soup."_

_"Really?" Tawni asked, feigning amusement._

_"Here. Try it." After that, Rhianne splashed the soup on Tawni's clothes and face. As Tawni grasped for breath, Rhianne added, "Excellent, isn't it?" _

_Grady and Zora subtly grabbed their trays and prepared to launch them. The observant cast of Mackenzie Falls also grabbed the food in front of them . _

_As Tawni's mashed potato flew to Rhianne's face, Sonny and Nico both knew that there will be no negotiation. _

_This. Will. Be. War._

**Okay! For those who read the other chapter seven version this past weekend, this one's the renewed version. I doubt that my work would ever be error free. It would never be. I'm just hoping it doesn't bug you to death, though. Tell me if it does. **

**The spoiler was also a little renewed, by the way! ******

**Oh, and hey to Mrs. Emmet McCarty Matthews, jbfan1987, Serena's girl 4-ever, and SparkleInTheSun! Also to the others who are putting up with me through this story! I thank you SO MUCH!! =D**


	9. Table Manners

_**Author's Note:**__** I have to apologize once again. Last chapter, I confused Alexander's name. I called him William. I am SO sorry! That is so embarrassing! Oh gosh…Chapter seven, then chapter eight…I'm on a roll with all of these errors! **_

_**I'm really sorry! XD**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** Sonny with a Chance does not belong to me. It belongs to Disney. Dr. Feelbetter was a name I copied from "Phineas and Ferb", which clearly does not belong to me either. It belongs to its proper owners.**_

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**Chapter 8**

**Table Manners**

"Come on, Heather. Don't you remember me?" Mackenzie desperately asked Heather. He slid his hands onto hers, then squeezed it.

Heather looked down on the hospital bed where she was in. She tried to remember the boy beside her, but nothing came. She looked at him, her eyes glazed with tears, then shook her head. "No," she answered with a shaky voice.

"You loved me." Heather shook her head once more. "Look in your heart. Who does it love?"

Heather thought about it. Little by little, she remembered someone. Her cheeks tinted a soft color of rose while her lips curled into a smile. "I remember," she whispered. She looked up at Mackenzie. "Matthew."

"What?"

"Matthew Connerway. I like him," Heather added. Her eyes sparkled with enchantment as she remembered Matthew. "I remember him! He's always kind to me. He's been very good. A charming gentleman…"

………………………………**.......**

"That's one big zit!" Nico exclaimed as he examined his face on the mirror. He stared at his chin. Under it, there was something really red. He lifted up his chin more, then poked at the problem. He frowned. "Oh, wait. Nah. It's just a scar."

He continued to stare at the mirror. He had been in Mackenzie Falls for a month now and so far, it had been really good. Chad, for one, was not bothering him much anymore. There were the inevitable glare-fests from time to time, but it never bothered him. For some reason, he thought of it as his way of knowing Chad better.

He and the cast of Mackenzie Falls have gotten along well, too. Gradually, he tried talking to each one of them. It was hard at first, especially because Chad _warned _them about him. "He told us that you were rude and very, um…self-absorbed, to put it nicely," Alex confessed one day to him. Basing on how they treated him, it sounded reasonable. But as he talked to them more and more, they got along with him. Soon, some of them started to watch movies with him and his friends.

There were also some perks with his new job. More and more people recognized him. Before, some people would just shrug when they see him. Now, they would go to him and ask for an autograph. Some would go to take a picture with him, while some just to hug him. "You are so kind to Heather. Bless your heart," an old lady once told him, then gave him an airtight hug. It was sometimes surprising to find out that some people think that the events on the show actually happened in real life. It's as if Mackenzie Falls was a reality show.

Instead of breaking the old lady's heart by telling her that he wasn't Matthew, he just smiled. "Thank you," he told her.

The lady's smile widened. "Take care of her, sweetie. I can see it in her eyes that she cares a lot about you."

"I will."

Nico grinned as he remembered the encounter. He was doubtful that he would ever forget that. He checked the scar under his chin again, then decided to take out a bandage from a drawer.

His dressing room's door opened. As expected, Alex and Ree entered. "What happened to you?" Alex asked after seeing a big bandage stuck under Nico's chin.

"Got scarred from that accident scene," he replied. He looked at them and saw hints of anxiety in their eyes. "Guys, I'm fine. It's just a scar."

"We just got finished with the amnesia scene," Ree informed him.

Nico smiled teasingly. "Oh. You mean that part where you tell Chad that you like me?" he asked.

"Yes," Ree answered. Seeing that Nico's eyebrows rose, she begun to nervously stutter. "No. I mean…I told him I like you, but you Matthew Connerway. Because, you know, I don't like you. Wait! I do like you, but as a friend only."

There was a deep silence first before someone spoke again. "I do so _love_ messing with you. And it's just before lunch," Nico told her.

Ree narrowed her eyes on him. "You're cruel," she accused. Nico laughed, then shrugged.

"You coming to lunch with us, Nico?" Alex asked, a little bewildered by the preceding exchange of words. "We have _Innocenti's_ cooking for us today. You know, they have mean crab soups and steaks. They also have this _tr__é__s d__é__liceux _chocolate truffles."

Nico clapped his hands together. "Cool. You know how the words delicious and dessert makes me feel. Where are we eating?"

"In the cafeteria," Ree answered.

Nico's smile fell off his face. "Um, I think I have to pass. That _tr__é__s d__é__liceux _reminded me of our French homework. I need to finish it. Monsieur Prevost will be upset if I don't give him my homework today."

The twins frowned. "But…you finished yours yesterday, remember?" Alex asked. Nico gave him a deer-caught-in-the-headlights look. He crossed his arms and smiled. "You were all '_J'ai fini, J'ai fini!' _yesterday."

"Well, I…just want to check if my work is correct," Nico reasoned out, aware that he might not succeed at his feeble attempt.

"You're lying," Ree replied. She chuckled. "Why don't you eat with us? It's not like the cast hates you. Still."

Nico gave up. "I know, but I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Come on, Nico. It's either you tell us, or we drag you there," Ree threatened with a grin.

Nico sighed. He really didn't want to go to the cafeteria. It might sound cowardly and illusory, but he wanted to avoid any confrontations between him and his past So! Random workmates. It might become very painful and might end up in a permanent spite.

Seeing the sadness in her friend's face, Ree just nodded. "Randoms," she spoke. Nico glanced at her, then subtly nodded. "Don't tell me you're scared of them."

"I just don't want to confront them. It would be really awkward and not right."

"You did tell them that you're going to work here, right?" Alex questioned curiously. Nico shook his head. "Ouch. Why?"

"I was mad at them." Ree and Alex drew a little closer, their faces reflecting intrigue. "Look. It's nothing. I'll just order pizza for lunch."

"No can do. Mr. West paid a lot for today's food, and it will be a let-down if you don't eat with us. Again," Ree responded with determination.

"Well the last time he had food brought in, no one called me. Alex remembers that. Don't you, Alex?"

"Blame Chad, not me," Alex pointed, his hands up in the air. "And the reason why you didn't say goodbye to the Randoms is VERY important. If it wasn't, we would be in the cafeteria right now, eating _Innocenti's_ steaks."

"If I do, would you two leave me alone?" Nico asked, defeated.

"Depends," Ree shrugged.

"They got their own side gigs. Um, Sonny got in this movie, Grady and Tawni guest starred in a show, and Zora had her own. I don't know where."

Ree's eyes widened and her jaws dropped. Mildly laughing, she asked, "You got jealous?"

Nico creased his eyebrows. "What? No! I was happy for them! They're my friends."

"Really now," Alex challenged. Nico just nodded. "Then why the flight with no bye-bye?"

"None of them were talking to me," he answered. He sighed, then continued. "Do you remember the feeling when you got lost at the park for the first time? You know, as a kid?" The other two nodded. "That's how it felt. I tried to work out how I can get out of the mess I was in. Can't. They're all too busy to help." Nico added a soft laugh. "It also felt like I don't belong there anymore. When I took Mr. West's job offer, I thought that they won't care. They might even get mad at me."

"Mad?" Alex echoed.

"Our shows were mortal enemies, remember?" Nico reminded him. "Plus, I was about to be fired from the show. That's probably why it was also a quick leave."

"Mr. Pike knows?" Ree concernedly asked.

Nico gave her an inquisitive look at first, then remembered. "Oh. Marshall. He knew I was going. He didn't know where, though." After a chain of memory from that night hit him, he smiled. "There was someone who _kinda_ knew that I got a job somewhere else. Sonny."

"The brunette?" Ree asked, her tone sounded offense.

"Yep. She almost stopped me, too. Almost."

"Why the 'almost'?"

"She was asleep when I talked to her. She told me not to go."

"That's…weird," Ree stated, an unsure smile settling on her lips.

"Well, I'm glad you still decided to come here," Alex told Nico with confidence. "It's been fun since you came."

"Good to know my plan's working," Nico replied, his tone hinting a secret.

"It's eleven thirty, guys. Lunch is in ten minutes," Ree reminded. Nico opened his mouth to tell them that he's not coming, but she beat him into it. "You're coming," she told him as she walked towards the door.

"But they'd be there," Nico desperately whined.

"So? You got the whole cast behind your back. We'll be with you," Alex promised. His sister nodded in agreement.

"They'd just sell me out. They don't like me."

Ree held Nico's right arm then pulled him in her tow. "Yeah. Maybe in your face," she scoffed.

Nico tried his best to glue his feet on the floor, but he found no success. Maybe it was because a part of him strongly believed that his new friends would stay true to their promise. He was still a little reluctant, but Rhianne's strong grip on his arm seemed to have melted away the fear of confrontation in him. _Well, steaks and soups it is,_ he told himself happily.

………………………………**....**

Tawni stared at her tray with horror. "This is food, right?"

"They look like they're poisoned," Zora commented sickly.

"I don't think so," Grady added. He looked down at his own tray. He poked at the broccoli, which crushed in contact with Grady's fork. The muffin and the mashed potato in his plate looked okay. The only factor that seemed to throw him off was the way the cafeteria lady slammed the foods on their tray. It was just like prison. "I don't think I'll eat it either."

Sonny stared at her food, too, though her mind was far away from their lunch. She thought of how things have gone. Grady had been fine, thanks to Tawni. Surprisingly, when she cared about something, she tries hard to do what she could. She and Grady had been talking a lot, which sometimes worries Sonny. She didn't want to just wake up one day and have a male and female version of Tawni Heart lurking around the studio.

Despite the plan she heard from her three workmates a month ago, she was still able to hang out with Chad. They had been okay. However, what bothered her much was that in some particular moments, she caught herself thinking of someone else. She thought of Nico: what he was doing, what he was watching, if he was thinking of them. Mostly, she wondered if he was thinking of her the same way she was thinking about him.

She tried to reason out that this was only because she was just a friend worrying about another friend. There was nothing more to it. Nico had been the first person to be nice to her. _Then again, maybe he was just putting up his moves on me,_ she thought. She smiled and knew that it worked.

"You actually like the food?" Tawni asked Sonny with incredulity.

Sonny, freshly pulled out of her reverie, stuttered. "Uh, I-I don't know. Maybe."

Tawni opened her mouth to speak further, but a delicious aroma giddied her. "Oh my…" she expressed. The four of them turned around to see a long table piled with the most delicious looking lunch they have ever seen.

There were rich-looking and smelling steaks sparkling on several plates. Pastas with their creamy sauces also awaited whoever were going to eat there. Of course, mouth-watering desserts were lined up in the center of the table: chocolate truffles, mousses, and cakes. It looked as if kings and queens are going to dine on the table.

"I think I've fallen in love," Grady breathed out.

However, their dream of eating the prepared foods were cut short as the cast of Mackenzie Falls walked in. "Or not," Grady amended.

All of them entered laughing, which served as a taunt to the So! Random cast. In their lead, as usual, was Chad. He was smiling proudly at everyone, except Grady, Tawni, and Zora. Instead, he offered them a smirk.

Sonny smiled at Chad. Chad winked at her. She giggled.

Sonny's smile faded away as she saw four particular people enter the cafeteria. Portlyn and Alexander Williams walked in. They were talking to each other as if in an argument. In their tow was Rhianne Anderson, her left arm intertwined with Nico's right. Nico looked uncomfortable and reluctant to sit with his friends at the table.

Zora raised her eyebrows. "Oh look. He finally showed up."

Nico glanced sideways, then looked back to Rhianne. "They're here," he stated quietly.

By the tone of his voice, Ree could tell that he was nervous. "And so are you. If you go back to the studio, that won't look good to them," she said.

"They're mad at me, I could tell."

"You think they won't be anymore if they see that you're avoiding them?" Ree asked. Nico shook his head like a little kid. "And hey. Look at me." Nico did what he was told. Rhianne chuckled at the sight of Nico's nervousness. "We got your back, remember?"

In all honesty, Nico felt as if the room was burning him alive. He could hear his heart pumping in his ears, his head throbbing with unease. "I don't know," he said.

"I think you should talk to them. Maybe after lunch."

"Then what? Throw up in front of them? You know how nervy I am right now!"

Rhianne placed one of her hand upon Nico's cheek. "None of it was your fault, Nico," Ree whispered.

"Pardon?"

"I think you're feeling guilty about what happened. I just want to tell you that none of it was your fault." Ree removed her hands from Nico's cheek, then sat at a chair.

Nico laughed. "Easy now, Dr. Feelbetter," he said, finally sitting at a chair between James Ryu and Ree.

Ree grinned. "But I pinned it, didn't I?" she asked victoriously.

Nico nodded, also grinning. "Yeah. I guess you did. Thank you." True to his response, he felt himself being at ease. Rhianne was right. He did feel guilty. He hoped that she was also right that none of what happened was his fault. It would sure make his life easier.

Sonny didn't know how to react. There, her mind was wildly running because of what she was seeing. Nico with another girl, and they looked happy. Something in her was afraid to acknowledge the probable fact that Nico might not care about them anymore. Maybe he forgot all of them when he left. He never thought of them anymore. He never thought of her after that night.

He have denied every one of them their existence. It's as if they didn't exist at all because on where he is right now, he's happy. With another girl. A girl that wasn't her.

"Nico, can I ask you a question?" James Ryu inquired the boy sitting beside him.

"Sure. What is it?"

James hesitated for a moment, but still asked the question that had been bothering him. "Are you…are you still going to do those pranks on us? I-I mean, I'm really bad with surprises."

Nico exchanged glances with Ree. "I forgot all about that after my second week at the Falls. Don't worry about it. I doubt I'd do it anytime soon."

"Cool!" James chirped. "Um, there's one more thing. I'm going to have a movie night this Friday at my house. You can come if you want to. Ree, Alex, and Portlyn can come with you, too."

"Are you kidding? Of course we'll come!" Nico exclaimed, disbelief eminent in his voice. "Aren't we, Ree?" She nodded. "Thanks, James." The other just nodded.

Afterwards, all of them started eating.

"Guys," Chad spoke up, causing the other people at the table to look at him. He also made sure that all of the others inside the cafeteria heard him. "Enjoy your lunch. Mr. West did make sure that we eat the best. Don't waste any of it. Not _all_ people can dine like us." Chad, being his taunting self, looked towards the So! Random table. "I hope you enjoy yours, too."

Nico, however, heard none of it. He was busy mustering all of his courage to steal a glance at his old friends' table across theirs. He decided to look at just one person first. Slowly, his eyes went to Sonny's direction.

As Sonny looked up from her tray, she met Nico's eyes. She froze. He had no expression on his face. She wasn't sure whether to smile, wave, or do nothing.

Then Nico smiled at her.

Sonny bit her lip, then smiled too. Afterwards, she mouthed a "Hi" to him.

Nico, in turn, responded with a "Hey". It made his smile spread to a grin, seeing Sonny's eyes sparkle when she smiles. He always loves that. There was also an additional feeling that made him more joyous: she might just be glad to see him. The same way he was happy to see her.

Ree watched in silence as the two exchanged smiles. She didn't know why, but she felt a little upset on what she was seeing. She sighed. _No, Ree. Not again,_ she whined inwardly.

Chad's statement garnered different responses: Zora rolled her eyes; Grady smirked; while Tawni felt compelled to respond. "Of course! We're going to enjoy our--" Tawni looked down at the food on her tray, which consisted of broccoli, muffin, and what looks like mashed potato. "--food! Yes, we will."

"Good for you," Rhianne commented absent-mindedly. It wasn't in her intention to be entangled with the trouble Chad was starting, but her irritation pushed her to do otherwise.

Tawni stood up from her seat, then crossed her arms. "Well, hey. I hope you also enjoy your steaks, spaghettis…" She paused for a bit, making sure she had everyone's attention before speaking again. Then, she stared at Nico with a sly smile.

Nico met Tawni's eyes and felt a cold chill ran through his spine. Even if she was smiling, he could see her anger. He looked down, trying to avoid her gaze. Something bad was coming, he knew.

"…Especially your ice, cold _traitor_," Tawni added. Their rivals and Sonny's jaws dropped. "Enjoy."

Of all, Rhianne was the most stunned. She thought that it was very unfair to Nico to be regarded as so. A minute ago, he felt really guilty on a misunderstanding which was clearly not his fault, and now they're looking at him as if he was a criminal.

"Excuse me?" Alex spat out.

"You heard her, Gruffy. She doesn't have to repeat herself," Zora defended.

"Guys, leave it," Nico whispered to his friends.

"Yes. Listen to him. You're better off doing what he says," Tawni insisted.

Ree, unable to bear all of it, bit her lip, then stood up. As she walked towards Tawni, she picked up a small bowl of soup from the table, all the while hiding this action behind her back. Nico knew what was going to happen and wished that he hadn't gone to the cafeteria with the rest of the cast. "You know, we also have an excellent crab soup."

"Really?" Tawni asked feigning amusement.

"Here. Try it." After that, Rhianne splashed the soup on Tawni's clothes and face. As Tawni grasped for breath, Rhianne added, "Excellent, isn't it?"

Grady and Zora subtly grabbed their trays and prepared to launch them. The observant cast of Mackenzie Falls also grabbed the food in front of them .

As Tawni's mashed potato flew to Rhianne's face, Sonny and Nico both knew that there would be no negotiation.

This. Will. Be. War.

Portlyn aided Ree by splashing her soup towards Tawni. Tawni, having learned, ducked. As she did, the steamy soup showered on Zora. "Ugh!" Zora screamed. Instantaneously, she grabbed the broccoli from her tray and swung it to Portlyn's direction.

The vegetables slammed in Alex's face, causing him to gasp. He, in turn, grabbed a handful of mousse and slung it to his opponent's way. It successfully landed on Zora's hair, but it also smashed in Grady's eyes.

Tawni, Grady, and Zora all threw foods at the Mackenzie Falls' table. The latter team returned the favor by doing the same.

Food flew everywhere. It hit everyone, regardless the target. Some of the crew members of the two shows ran out of the cafeteria, heading straight to their bosses to report what was going on. Nonetheless, the two teams fought hard, and it was evident that none of them were willing to give up.

Alex and James teamed up against Grady, who was rather quick in finding and throwing 'ammunition'. Amber Ameglio, Lorraine Post, and Keysha Sudden teamed up against Zora. Zora was drenched with various food, but she couldn't care less. Deep inside, she was having fun.

Portlyn and Ree opposed Tawni, who was slowing down because her eyes were covered in soup and sauces. As she stepped forward the two, she slipped. Whilst falling down, she grabbed Ree's arm, dragging her down with her. "Ow!" Ree exclaimed, feeling her arm tear away from her shoulders. Tawni tackled her, then started grabbing random stuff from the floor. She threw all of it in Ree's hair. Ree, knowing that her arm couldn't bear to move, just struggled. "Portlyn!" she cried.

James and Alex turned over one of the vacant tables and used it as a shield. They switched off in attacking Grady. Grady picked up a tiny bowl containing soy sauce, and he hurled it towards them. Even if he meant to throw the condiment only, the tiny bowl slipped from his hand and flew away.

As Alex stood up from their shield, he saw the bowl closing in towards him. Finally, it hit him flat in the nose and knocked him out. James ran to Alex's aid but still continued to protect the two of them from their opponent.

Sonny backed out towards the exit. She didn't want to get involved in any of it, though Alfredo sauce was already dripping down the left side of her hair. As she stepped back, she bumped to someone. "Going somewhere?" a familiar voice asked her.

When she turned around, Nico wiped the mousse in his finger on her nose. "Gotcha," he said.

Sonny's jaw dropped. "You!" Sonny laughed. She spotted a bowl of mousse in Nico's right hand, then grabbed it. She poured all of its contents in her hands.

Nico, now, was the one stepping back. "Uh…Sonny…" he nervously called her.

"Yes?" She advanced towards him.

"Don't do what--" Nico's plead was cut-off as Sonny smeared the mousse in her hands on his entire face.

Sonny placed her hands on her hips. "You know, you don't look good with mousse," she mentioned.

Both of them laughed. Nico grabbed another bowl of the dessert. Before he could lift it up the table, a loud whistle pierced everyone's ears. All of them covered their ears and searched for the source of the noise.

Standing at the cafeteria's entrance were Eric West and Marshall Pike. Eric stood with a whistle on one hand, while the other was braced on his hips. Marshall waited alongside him with a threatening silence.

Seeing Mr. West's expression, all the cast members of Mackenzie Falls hurried up to a straight line.

Seeing Marshall's expression, the cast of So! Random stood up straight.

"Conference Room. Now," Mr. West commanded. His cast followed him, some of them supported by others because they were hurt.

Nico was unwilling to leave, but he knew he had to. "I'll see you later," he told Sonny.

"Okay," Sonny responded. She was also a little sad; she had fun 'food fighting' with Nico. The last thing she wanted when they started was for it to end.

Marshall remained quiet for moments before speaking. "I don't like scolding, but you kids had to get yourselves in this mess. Five minutes. In my office." After that, he left.

The four of them darted looks to each other. They knew that in five minutes, they're going to meet the side of Marshall they would never want to meet again.

………………………………**....................**

"What was all of that about?" Mr. West demanded, his face seemingly furious red. As expected, no one answered. Their eyes were cast down. "Thousands of dollars. Gone and wasted."

Chad appeared behind Mr. West, unharmed by the food fight that took place earlier. His and Nico's eyes met. Chad shook his head, feigning disappointment towards Nico. The other narrowed his eyes in return.

"And not only that. Some of you are actually injured! Rhianne's got a dislocated arm, Alexander's nose is broken and is still half knocked out, Keysha's nose bled…WHAT DO I DO WITH ALL OF YOU?!"

"I'm sorry, Mr. West," Nico apologized, catching the attention of those around him. "I was the reason why that thing started. I take all of the responsibility."

Eric placed his hands on his hips, then turned to Chad. "Where were you when this happened?"

"Um…I-I was going here t-to ask for help," Chad stuttered.

Eric chuckled, then took a seat. The cast looked at each other, albeit puzzled with their boss's behavior. "You missed the fun then," Eric told Chad, and it was all that it took to daze all of them.

"You--you're not mad at us?" Nico asked.

"Mad? No," Eric answered with a wide grin. "The other producers just told me to yell at all of you, so I did. But I'm not angry. I even think it was fun."

"But Mr. West," Chad disagreed.

"And you, Chad," Eric turned back to him. "You left your people. Now what do we do with you?"

Nico and Portlyn looked at each other, then giggled. Both of them thought that if Ree and Alex saw what was happening, they could have laughed in triumph. The ones who were in the cafeteria earlier knew that it was Chad who started everything. They didn't notice when he flew out of the scene. _If they had, his hair would be in trouble right now,_ Nico stated inwardly.

………………………………**.........**

Sonny dried her hair with a towel while she sat quietly on her bed. Remembering how Marshall shouted at them earlier still sent terror through her whole being. She could still see his angry eyes, hear his booming voice, and feel his bitter anger. She knew what they did was wrong, but her boss's tirade was a little uncalled for.

_Then again_, she thought, _he's been like that for the past weeks._

Her cell phone chirped cheerfully, its loud volume making Sonny jump. A text message. She flipped her phone open, then smiled as she saw who sent it: Nico. She pressed Read.

_Mousse still stuck on my face. I l0ok lyk Santa. H0pe ur ok. 8 was good 2 c u again. Gudnyt! =)_

Sonny laughed. She remembered how Nico looked like with mousse painted across his face. He looked funny. _And cute,_ she whispered in her mind. It had been long since she last saw him smile. The last week she saw him at their studio, he looked miserable. She thought again that maybe, on where he is now, that he was happy.

She regretted to admit that.

There was another thing in Nico's face that she remembered, and it concerned her. Quickly, she typed: _Y d big bandage under ur chin? _She pressed Send.

A reply came a minute later. _Got scarred from taping. Don't worry. 'm ok now. _

She sent him another message. _How did 8 go w/ Mr. West?_

_{=C How 'bout Marshall? _Nico asked.

_{X( _She replied.

_Ooh…that bad, huh? lol. What flowers d0 u lyk?_

_That's…random. But I lyk white lilies and lavender. Y?_

As Sonny saw Nico's reply, she was a little bewildered. _Bon nuit, ma cherie : ) _

………………………………**.......**

The next morning, Sonny understood why Nico asked. When she opened her door to leave for work, she was greeted by flowers: a single lily and some lavender. A violet ribbon tied them together, but it also bore a card.

She picked it up with a smile, then read the message on the card in her mind. _Thank You._

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_**Reviews are loved, as always. I'd be happy even if you guys leave just one word. I really adore your feedbacks so please, keep them coming! XD**_

_**Spoiler:**__** Do you guys remember what the M.A.B.C.B is? They were mentioned in the second and third chapter. Marshall will discover something in the next chapter about their report, and the result is not going to be nice. It'll make everything more complicated. **_

**_Thanks for all those who reviewed last chapter, by the way. =D_**


	10. The Not So Common Mistake

_**Author's Note:**__** Hey y'all! It made me happy to know that you guys liked the last chapter. I thank all of those who left reviews on most of the chapters. To those who left anonymous reviews, I wanted to thank you personally but since I can't, I'll just thank you in my A/N! Thank you! =D**_

_**I'll give you guys a head's up that we're probably in the middle of the story. This chapter will be the spark of a bigger tension. For the spoiler, I'll probably mention what you guys can expect on the coming chapters. More like a summary. (Woo! I'm telling you. I'm really excited for that!)**_

_**Sonnico fact! OMG. You guys just don't know how loud I was squealing inside when I saw one of their sketches, "Annoying Girl", on the Prop House episode. I mean, c'mon! Sonny and Nico playing husband and wife! Oh gosh… *faints***_

_**Disclaimer:**__** Sonny with a Chance belongs to Disney. The only thing that belongs to me here is the story.**_

_**______________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

**Chapter Nine**

**The Not-So Common Mistake**

Marshall stared at the letter M.A.B.C.B sent him weeks ago. For the past days, it had been bothering him. According to them, when he called after receiving the ratings from them, the show would be terminated soon. That was the reason why one of his kids left. That was why he let Nico go. It had been tremendously painful for his part, seeing him go and not knowing where he went. He felt as if he failed.

__Now, it seemed as if he never received that letter at all. Usually, they would give weekly notices about the failing ratings. They had not called even once. No one from the ratings company have shown up to his office or contacted them. It made Marshall wonder if they were just playing games with him for the past weeks.

__There was a knock on the door. "Who is it?" Marshall asked in an exhausted tone.

__"It's Josh, sir," Josh, the mailroom person, answered. "I have mail for you."

__Marshall sighed. "Come right in."

__Josh hesitated to come in first, seeing a mild hostile presence in the room. Quickly, he placed the handful of mail addressed to Marshall to the receiver's desk. Afterwards, he wheeled his mail cart out of the room, closed the door, then left.

Marshall absent-mindedly sorted through the letters. Fan mail, he placed to the left; Bills, to the right; and invitations, notices, and others in the middle. When he came across the twenty-first letter, his mind was awakened. In his hands was another letter from M.A.B.C.B.

__Dreadfully, he opened it. Who will it be this time?, his mind seemed to wonder. Grady? Tawni? Zora? Sonny? He took out the rating evaluation.

As he did, there was a small piece of paper that fell off. He took a moment to consider which one to read first. He chose the small paper. Gathering all of his might, he read it.

_To __So! Random__ show,_

_Our corporation would like to extend a congratulations to your production! We were notified that your show had been doing fantastically in ratings. The viewer percentages have gone up since December of 2008. Mass correspondence to us have also reflected the impressive name that your show had been making in the industry._

_Again, congratulations!_

_John Walker_

_M.A.B.C.B President_

Marshall's eyebrows creased, while his lips opened to speak. However, he found no words to say. His hand instantaneously crept towards the other letter. Then, he read it carefully, absorbing every detail that was on the paper. True enough, their supposed-to-be-failing rating had been soaring for months. There were no traces of any falling percentage.

"How could this happen?" he asked quietly. The next thing that came to mind was calling the ratings company. So he did. As he punched each number, his confusion seemed to increase more and more.

The other line rung only twice before someone answered. "M.A.B.C.B Ratings Corporation. This is Max Elliot. Good morning," somebody said.

"Uh, good morning. This is Marshall Pike of Paper Sketch Productions," Marshall introduced himself.

"Oh!" Max exclaimed with glee. "Of So! Random! show. How are you, sir?"

"Just…fine. Um, listen. I just want to ask you about my show's rating. I called weeks ago, and someone told me that we have failing ratings. He even advised me to drop the show. I just received a letter from your company saying that we're doing good. What's happening? I--I'm confused here," Marshall confessed.

The long pause on the other end of the line told him that the other speaker was as perplexed as him. "W-Well…I don't know. I'm sure I wasn't the one that talked to you," Max stuttered. It was also evident on the way he spoke that he was puzzled. "Uh… Did you remember exactly when you called?"

"It's probably been four weeks ago," Marshall recalled vaguely.

"I don't know, Mr. Pike. I can talk to the supervising chairperson at that time and ask him about the misunderstanding," Max suggested.

Marshall creased his eyebrows. "Ok. If you can also tell him to contact me, I guess that would do."

"Alright," the other man cheerfully said. "I'll have Mr. Eric West call you about that. You have a good day."

Marshall only heard two words. Eric West. He couldn't help himself but ask what the producer was doing in the ratings corporation. Why was he there? It could not possibly be because…

No. That would be absurd. He knows Eric like a close friend. Even if their shows rival with each other, they remained friends. But then again, he remembered Eric complementing his cast a lot, especially Nico. He even joked that the 'boy is so brilliant at comedy', he thinks that 'he'd also do fantastic at drama.' There were a couple of throw-aways--hints, if he may--of having him at Mackenzie Falls, too.

_So…if he's a supervising chairman, that means he has the power to…_Marshall needn't to finish his thought in order to arrive to his conclusion. It was very simple: his show fails ratings, a cast member leaves (which was very convenient since it was Nico who did so), and the other producer steps into action. Marshall stood up and fixated his mind on heading to the Mackenzie Falls studio.

He had been cheated, and he's going to correct it.

………………………………**......**

"I know," Nico answered, his hand gripping his phone a little tighter. A jubilant smile hung on his face, accompanied with languid, but delighted eyes. "Yes, I will. Don't worry. I'll see you in a bit. Okay. Love you."

"Uh-oh," Alex said. "You just said the L word." Nico turned around to see Alex standing at his dressing room's door. He grinned. "Was it a girl?"

Nico shook his head, carried his bag, then walked out of his room. Alex followed in his trail. "No. That was my dad. He had been in Washington for this past three weeks for a case. He just called to tell me that he's home."

"Ohhh…" Alex nodded. "You know, Ree and I haven't met your parents."

"I haven't met yours either," Nico responded, almost laughing.

"So? Does it matter who goes first?"

Nico laughed. "Well, my dad did tell me to invite some people over tonight to our house. Are you and Ree doin--"

"No. We're free tonight."

"Okay," Nico replied.

As they exited to one of the sets, the two came across the whole cast who were busy getting their things together before going home. Nico could feel the drowsiness surrounding everyone, even himself. Today, taping was rather arduous. The events on the show have grown intense. Because of that, they needed to work harder.

Especially him and Rhianne, since Matthew and Heather's relationship had become one of the show's main focus.

_Where's Innocenti's when you need them?_, he thought as he looked at his workmates. "Hey, guys," Nico called all of them silently. Everyone turned to him with lethargy. "If you're hungry, we can go to my house. My mom's cooking."

Suddenly, all of their eyes lit up. "Can I go?" Portlyn asked, her tone pleading.

"Of course," Nico said. "James can go, and Keysha, and Amber, and Lorraine. Ree's coming, too. Well, that's if you guys don't have anything planned." James, Keysha, Amber, Lorraine, and Portlyn darted glances to each other, then shook their heads hastily. "Okay. I guess all of you can just follow me on our way there," he concluded.

"On your way where?" Eric West asked his cast with a grin.

"Oh. I was inviting them over to my house," Nico responded attentively. "You can come with us, Mr. West."

"Huh. I would love to," Eric answered, eyes lighting up and his grin seeming to spread wider.

Nico clapped his hands together; he was rather excited to see how everything would come out. "Okay. Everybody's going."

However, before anyone could go, Mo appeared alongside Eric, his face stern and fixed. "Eric. Marshall Pike's at your office. He wants to talk to you."

Eric frowned. "Why?"

"I don't know, but he's pretty upset about something."

Eric considered for a moment. He thought it would be rude to turn down an invitation he had already accepted, but it would also be the same case to ignore someone who have been waiting for him. Eric exhausted a sigh. "Fine. I'll talk to him," Eric protested. He turned to Nico with a sincere sad smile, then said, "Nico. I'm really sorry about this."

Nico, who was a little intrigued for Marshall's reason of coming, just shook his head. "That's fine, Mr. West. Maybe next time," he smiled.

The producer nodded back, then waved goodbye to everyone. Afterwards, he walked out of the set's door with Mo.

"I'm off to my dressing room for a minute, then I'll be right behind you," Portlyn said. After Nico nodded, everybody else scuttled away.

Nico looked around the empty set. Since he left So! Random, he had not seen any live audience, which had always been a big deal to the show. The only highlight there in Mackenzie Falls was the big falls set. That was it. The loud noise it made _sometimes_ sounded like hands clapping, and it reminded him a lot of his previous show's place. He missed it a lot.

_What am I thinking? I'm in Mackenzie Falls now. These guys--they had all been good to me. They're always on my side. I should be the same, _he thought. He sighed, then looked towards the set. Of course, the hospital room set was immaculately clean as always. However, he noticed that there was someone just sitting in a small prop couch at the corner: Chad. He almost jumped at the sight of him. "Oh! Goodness," he exclaimed. "Don't even think about scaring me like that again."

Chad smiled smugly. "I guess it's not only you now that can do pranks," he stated.

Nico just shook his head. "What are you doing in the set anyways?" he said with irritation.

"Relaxing," Chad shrugged. "I was also watching you guys. Kind of like live TV."

"You watch people? That's…creepy," Nico countered. Chad gradually sat up from the chair, his eyes reflecting abashment of telling the other what he was doing. "So I guess you must've heard about the dinner at my house," Nico asked.

"Yeah. I heard."

"You…can come, if you want to," Nico invited, though there was a subtle forced tone in his voice. "I'll drive there, you guys can follow."

"Me? Chad Dylan Cooper? Follow?" Chad asked with incredulity, then scoffed. "I don't think so."

"Well if you know where to go, you can take the lead. But you don't know now, do you, Chad?" Nico argued. Chad remained silent. Nico noticed that even if Chad was being his proud self that day, his eyes had been rather downcast. He looked sad. From time to time, it stuck out to him. He wondered why, but he couldn't come up with any reason. Somehow, deny as he may, it bothered him. Nico sighed guiltily.

Chad leaned back on the couch. "Sure. I'll follow," he replied.

"Really?"

Chad stood up then walked towards Nico. "Yep. I say no to following, I say yes to food," he stated. "I'll wait at the parking lot." With that, Chad left.

Nico scratched his head. _There's definitely something wrong with him_.

**………………………………......**

Eric's grin went back to his face when he saw Marshall. Giving the latter a pat on the back, he greeted, "Hey, Marshall! Nice to see you again! It's been a long time."

Marshall's face showed no emotion except for a silent anger. "We need to talk," he stated icily.

The grin on Eric's face diminished into a smile. "Okay. Talk."

"Not here. I want to talk to you _in private_," Marshall glanced at Mo.

Eric sighed. It confused him to see his friend acting this way. It's as if he was angry at him. "We can go to the conference room. Come on."

Mo watched as Eric strode out of the room with Marshall fuming at his tow. He became tempted to listen to what the two would talk about, but he thought it better not to do so. Because whatever it was that had the other producer upset was certainly not pleasurable to hear.

………………………………**......**

Laughter abounded the Harris' dining room. For the past hour, Mr. and Mrs. Harris had been talking to the group animatedly about different topics. The guests enjoyed much, as it was seen in their brightly lit eyes, the company they had with their friend's parents. Nico's parents felt the same way. Their son's new workmates delighted them; they were courteous, graceful, and very respectful of them. It surprised them a lot, too.

Much to Nico's dismay, however, his parents started to talk about his childhood to the cast. Thankfully, Chad was nowhere to be found since dinner ended.

"And we told Nico he couldn't go there," Leah Harris glanced cheerfully at his son, whose cheeks were burning red. "But he's very stubborn. He still stuck that needle in the power socket." Laughter again.

Nico stood up. "Okay now. I think I better look for Chad before I die of embarrassment."

"Oh, come on, Nico! We haven't seen your baby pictures yet!" Ree teased him, her eyes glistening with tears because of laughing. The others nodded their heads in agreement.

"Don't listen to her, mom," Nico pleaded to his mother.

"Don't worry, son. Just go ahead and find your friend. We won't take out the album," Jerry Harris assured. When Nico nodded and went away, he turned back to their young guests and added, "Yet. Now, we will."

………………………………**......**

After searching at the driveway and all around their house's first floor, Nico went upstairs, a platter of cake in his right hand, and found Chad alone in the open balcony. He frowned first before walking towards him. "Hey. What are you doing here?" he asked.

A glass of beverage resting on his hands, Chad turned around and smiled sadly. "Oh. I'm sorry. That's rude of me to be here," he apologized sincerely. "I'll go back downstairs."

"No! No. It's alright. I just wanted to know why you're here."

Chad shrugged. "I don't know. Why are you?"

"I escaped. I think my parents are getting ready to show everyone my baby pictures."

"I should be downstairs then," Chad attempted to intimidate, but failed. "You know, your parents are really nice. They care about you a lot. I'm glad to meet them."

"Huh. I thought you were bored by them."

"What? That's not true."

Nico smiled slightly. "What about your parents? When do we get to meet them?"

Chad shook his head. "I ask myself that question," he answered with a feigned smile and an embittered tone. Nico creased his eyebrows as he looked at Chad. He wondered if it was possible that he was seeing another side of his own rival. Chad continued to stare at the glass in his hands as if his mind was drowning in it. "My dad's a businessman and my mom's a CEO of this big-shot company. They're always busy, and with my job, I only get to see them once a week. Which is," then he chuckled mockingly, "not enough if you ask me."

Nico remained silent. He found nothing to condole Chad. As much as he wanted to say something, he knew he couldn't. "I would be with my friends, but I don't have any," Chad added. "Everyone thinks I'm a jerk."

"Sonny doesn't," Nico suddenly stated, which he regretted a little bit.

"Good family. Good friends. She's another reason why I'm jealous of you," Chad revealed.

Both of their eyes widened with shock. "What did you say?!" Nico asked.

"What did I what? No! I didn't say I was jealous of you!" Chad defended.

"You're a good actor, but you're a very bad liar," Nico mocked.

Chad gritted his teeth. "There's something wrong with the drink. It's making me lie."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Whatever, man," he dismissed, his hands raised in the air. "But really. I'm sorry about the things happening to you. If you ever need parents, I can lend you mine. I'm sure they'll be happy to have you over. And over and over and over and over…"

Chad laughed, then smiled. "Thanks. You know. For inviting me."

Nico shrugged. "Not a big deal."

"It's actually my fifth year anniversary in the show. So I guess this is kind of a celebration," Chad said.

_So that's why he'd been sad. Nobody remembered!, _Nico thought. _Well, of course I won't. I didn't know. _Nico handed the plate of newly sliced cheesecake to Chad, which the other doubtfully accepted. "Here. That's the only gift I can give. Happy fifth anniversary," he greeted him sleepily, but congratulating. Chad looked back at Nico with creased eyebrows. Nico yawned aloud, then walked away.

"I can't take this," Chad protested. "This is yours!"

Nico walked away continuously, his right hand waving in the air. "Yes, you can! That's what brothers do!"

After Nico vanished to the stairs, Chad stared at the cake. Now he understood why a lot of people likes Nico.

………………………………**......**

Nico drove back to his apartment the next morning, only to find a small wrapped box leaning on his door.

_"Are you accusing me of faking the letter?" Eric asked Marshall at the top of his lungs. He knew their meeting wouldn't end good since they started talking, but he hadn't expected for it to be this bad._

He picked it up, then read the small card attached atop it.

_Marshall scoffed then rolled his eyes. "There! See! You finally admitted it!"_

_"I DID NOT ADMIT ANYTHING! THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ACCUSING ME!" Eric yelled back._

Penned on it was: _To Nico, I thought you'd like this. --Sonny =) _Nico smiled as he unwrapped it hastily.

_"YOU'RE LYING!" Marshall threw back._

_Eric tried to hold himself together. He breathed deeply before speaking again. "Marshall, I'd rather you leave my studio. This conversation is going nowhere."_

_"I'd rather you return Nico to my show," Marshall countered._

As he saw the small boy plush doll inside the box, he laughed. It was dressed completely with Mackenzie Falls uniform, with thin-rimmed glasses stitched around its eyes, a friendly smile decorating its round face, and button eyes that gleamed when it encounters light.

It was him.

_Eric shook his head. "Accuse me of whatever, Marshall, but he's not coming back to So! Random. He stays here. He won't set foot on your studio. Ever. Again. And I'll make sure of that."_

_**______________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

_**So there you go! I think it's a shorter chapter this time…Anyways, I hope I didn't get you confused with the last part. I know you know it already 'cause y'all are smart people, but I just want to stress it. The ones in italics are conversations the night before while the ones in normal (and italics for Sonny's card) takes place during the next day.**_

_**Mid Spoilers:**__** (!)**_

 _**Next chapter, Nico and Grady will finally have a talk.**_

 _**Yes. One chapter will be entitled "Ain't No LQ" **__(LQ means Lover's Quarrel, just in case you didn't know). __**Guess who will be in the quarrel…**_

 "_**Did you forget…That I was even alive, Did you forget…Everything we've ever had…Did you forget? Did you forget? 'Bout me?" **__(You'll hear this in one of the chapters. Btw, "Don't Forget" by Demi Lovato is one of my favorite songs!) _

 _**For the story's ending, I will put out (?) a poll. It will come out probably at the twelfth or thirteenth chapter.**_

_**Have a great Sonnico day, y'all! =)**_


	11. Blocked

_**Author's Note:**__** Uh-oh, y'all. There was only two people that left a review. I hope the reason was not because I said something that you didn't like. I don't like offending people and not knowing that I did so. Please tell me if I did. =(**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** Sonny with a Chance does not belong to me. It belongs to Disney. Oh, and Versace belongs to...well...Versace!**_

_**______________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

**Chapter Ten**

**Blocked**

Nico knew that he was not supposed to be in the props room. Better yet, he knew that he was not supposed to be inside the So Random! studio. If any of his former workmates saw him, a confrontation might take place again. Still, he continued to tiptoe quietly towards the empty room.

He wanted to see Sonny, although he didn't know the reason why. Maybe it's because he just felt like it. "Sonny? Sonny, are you here?" Nico quietly called out.

"Hey," a familiar voice said. Nico turned around and saw Grady standing at the props room's entrance, eyebrows creased, a mild frown settled in his face. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Uh…I'm just…" Nico trailed off with his heart pounding heavily inside his chest. There was a shadow of resentment in Grady's eyes, which made him nervous. At the same time, it gave him that dreaded guilt. That feeling which he seemed to have forgotten an eternity ago. It made his mind numb, and it left him speechless.

"Are you here to get us back for the food fight?" Grady asked, stepping towards his former friend with suspicion.

"No. Actually, I just wanted to--"

"Or were you sent here for a mission? 'Cause I'm telling you. All of our stuff's locked up."

"What do you mean?"

Grady narrowed his eyes on Nico. "Don't play dumb. We know what you _jerks_ are planning. You want to take our stuff! Like what all of you always do."

Nico was taken aback. "Wait. You think that the reason why I'm here is because I want to steal something from you guys?" he asked, then scoffed. "Have all of you lost your minds?"

"Oh, don't deny it," Grady stated, poking Nico with a finger, which the latter irritably swatted. "We know you've been spying on us! We also know that Amber wants Tawni's regiment…thingies; Chad wants my map of Narnia; and Alex Williams is just itching to get a hold of Zora's Nuclear Diffuser!"

Nico took a moment to consider. As it was very disappointing to hear his old friends' accusation of him of being a spy-slash-thief, he was also puzzled. "Wha--Huh?" he inquired. "We want your whats?"

Grady's frown and the accusing aura suddenly fell down from his face as he saw Nico's confused look. He walked towards the couch. After sitting down, he sighed listlessly, "Never mind." Even though Zora have already told him a couple of times how Nico would never be the same again, Grady disagreed. Especially now that his old best friend stood in the room, that awfully perplexed expression carved in his face like he had seen once or twice before.

Alarmed by Grady's silence, Nico amended, "Hey, man. Look. I'm sorry that I came here. I didn't know I wasn't supposed--"

"You're not here to see us, are you?" Grady inquired, dismay hinted in his tone. Nico didn't respond; Grady guessed he was surprised with the question. "It's okay if you're not."

"Well," Nico attempted to start, "I…I'm here to see…a fourth of the cast."

Grady scoffed with a smile lighting his face. "Sonny. Should've known. No one can ever separate Romeo from Juliet."

Nico laughed. "Am I that predictable?" he asked, then walked towards one of the chairs at the couch's sides. "You don't mind if I sit down, do you?"

Grady shook his head. "I think the coast is clear. If Zora's here, I would say no," he replied, allowing Nico time to settle down. "And actually, it's not only you that's predictable. Sonny's pretty much the same."

"She talks about me?"

"Not really. But she does have those lily and lavender flowers in their dressing room, and she always smiles because of it. I figured it was from you."

"How?"

"I heard her talking to them three days ago. She said you bought them for her."

Nico grinned. "Really?"

Grady turned to him with an intrigued look. "Are you two dating?"

The other shook his head. "I think Chad and her are. You know. Dating. I think she's happy with that."

Grady picked up on a familiar tone that he have heard before. Doubt. He crossed his arms. "Is Sonny _really_ happy with that, or are you making yourself believe she's happy?"

Nico shrugged. Grady had a point. Maybe he's just making himself believe in something that he's unsure of. However, he decided to digress. "Enough about me and Sonny. I've been hearing things about you and Tawni."

"Like what?"

"That you're always together. I heard there's a little something going on with you two," Nico answered, then began shaking his head. "Grady, Grady, Grady. I could've never guessed that you and Tawni will end up together."

Grady sniggered, yet his face was flushing to a violent shade of red. "Yeah, right. There's nothing between me and…her…"

"Uh-oh. You like her, and I can see it."

"Well--"

"Don't even try to lie, man. Chad did that last night, and I caught him. It wouldn't work on me." Grady's laugh subsided instantaneously. Nico's smile also vanished with it as he realized what he have just said. "Oh. I'm sorry, man. I didn't mean to…"

Grady chuckled. "When we saw your commercial for the Falls, we all felt horrible. We were mad, actually. It's like we did something really wrong. But the worst part of it is," he paused, then looked at Nico, "none of us have any idea what it is that we did."

Nico felt a memory jabbing in his mind. _What have they done wrong? Do they really not know? Of course they wouldn't. They were too busy to even pay attention to it. They were too busy to understand that Marshall didn't want me in the show anymore. They were too busy to even see that I was going to be kicked out of the show that week. _But he knew he couldn't tell Grady all of these. Not only because it would be miserly, but also because he knew that he couldn't blame them anymore. He _daren't _hold a grudge against his friends. "I didn't want to leave. That much I can tell you," Nico stated. "And I guess I owe all of you an apology. I'm sorry."

Grady nodded quietly with a smile. "Okay. And hey, I'm also sorry that you have to wear those dorky glasses for the show."

"It's actually not bad. I can see better with it," Nico chuckled, then glanced at his watch. "Oh, shoot!" he exclaimed, jumping up on his feet. "I'm going to be late for Algebra 2. Uh, Grady, can you just tell Sonny that I was looking for her?"

"Sure," Grady agreed. As Nico sped towards the exit, he halted him, "Nico!"

Nico skidded on the back archway. "Yes?" he asked, turning to look at Grady.

"Are we still, um…mad at each other?"

"I don't think so," Nico replied. "Are you?"

Grady shook his head. "I'll see you around," he said. Nico dismissed himself from the room then darted towards the Mackenzie Falls' studio.

Grady chuckled. For the first time, Zora was wrong. Nico didn't change.

**………………………………......**

The cast of Mackenzie Falls piled noisily into a spacious studio classroom. Some of the ones who arrived earlier than others tried to finish off their homework as quickly as possible. Others chatted lively of what they did the night before, while most talked about their plans for the upcoming Teen Awards.

"I haven't decided on what I'm wearing yet," Keysha told her friends. "But it's probably going to be a Versace dress."

Rhianne gasped. "Versace? The designer _Versace?_"

"I know!" Keysha squealed. "It's going to be fantastic!"

"Do you already have an escort?" Portlyn asked.

"You know Luke Hill from that 'Aeron Code' movie?"

"Oh…gosh…"

The four girls shrieked in unison.

"Goodness," Alex protested. "Will you girls please! I'm trying to study here!"

"Don't be bitter, Alex," Ree narrowed her eyes on her brother. "You'll get your dress and your escort, too." She noticed Nico in her periphery. He quickly took his seat behind her, then gave himself a moment to catch his breath. "Whoa. Aren't you in a hurry."

"I know. I…had to run," Nico panted.

"Where did you go?" Keysha asked.

"Um…I…"

"Well, that doesn't matter. At least you got here first before Mr. Dmitri," Ree dismissed. "Anyways, we were just talking about Teen Awards before you came in."

"They were also shattering all of our ears," Alex sulked as he penciled in some of the equations from the book to his notebook. Portlyn and Amber rolled their eyes.

"Oh. Really," Nico said as he leafed through his book. "I forgot about that already. Um, James, what page is that functions chapter?"

James looked up from his book and answered, "Page twenty-five to twenty-nine."

" 'Kay. Thanks."

"Don't tell me you're not going," Portlyn said, slightly shocked.

"Why would I if I wasn't invited?" Nico chuckled.

"The whole cast of Mackenzie Falls are always invited to parties, movie premieres, celebrations and especially," Amber stated, then paused, "in all of the awards night. Remember that."

"So are you going?" Ree asked excitedly. To be honest with herself, she didn't just want Nico to go to Teen Awards, she wanted him to go _with her_ to the awards night.

Nico shrugged, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration of what he was reading. "I don't know. Maybe not."

"Oh come on, Nico. It will be fun!" Keysha attempted to convince him. "You get to wear a designer suit…meet other famous people…go to after-parties. Oh! Plus, you can go there with a date." Nico continually ignored the girls' sentiments as he became more and more absorbed in the book. "You're not seriously focused on studying, are you?"

"What? Oh. Um…What were you saying?"

"A girl. Keysha said you could bring a girl," Chad stated as he walked in, his phone cradled in his hands.

"Yeah. Sure," Nico replied.

Keysha turned to the other girls with an irritated expression on her face. "What's wrong with these men?" she asked, which was answered by a chorus of shrugs. "Sheesh. Every single day, they get harder to talk to."

As the four girls returned to their own circle, Alex looked up from his book and looked at Nico. "You know, you have to go to Teen Awards," he said. "Mr. West would not be happy if you don't."

Nico sighed. "Fine. I'll go," he replied, then looked at Alex. "But, you know what, I don't think I've seen Mr. West mad before. Wait. I have when we had that food fight."

"Oh. Portlyn told me the story, and I'm sure he wasn't mad at that time," Alex stated. "It's really rare to see Mr. West angry. I've seen it once, when a studio light almost fell on Chad. It was…" he reminisced, then shivered at the flashback in his head, "horrifying. He had the lights man fired. Well, anyways, I can tell when he's really angry. All of us in the cast can."

Nico grinned. "How?"

"Harris!" Eric West called furiously outside the classroom door.

All of the chatter and activities stopped once the cast heard their boss. Throughout, there was only silence and anxiety. Alex winced. "When he calls you by your last name," he replied with terror.

"You. Get out here. Now," Eric West demanded.

Nico stood up immediately and walked towards Eric. He thought of anything that he have done to make Mr. West this incensed. However, there was nothing. "Yes, Mr. West?"

"Close the classroom door," Eric commanded.

"I'm so--"

"I SAID close the classroom door!" Without hesitation, Nico did what he was told and waited, terrified of what the producer would say. "Where were you before going to class?"

"I was just going around," Nico stated quietly.

"Where exactly?" Eric asked calmly. When he got no answer, he became more furious. "It's either you stand here all day lying to me, or you tell me the truth NOW!"

"I was in So! Random's studio," Nico replied, getting a little offended by Eric's yelling, but remained respectful nonetheless.

Eric sharply exhaled and began shuffling his feet uncomfortably. "Okay. You're not allowed to go there anymore."

"What?!"

"You're forbidden to talk to anyone of those kids."

"But Mr. West--"

"There is no exceptions, Mr. Harris! You signed a contract to this show, and what we say, you follow," Eric said. When he saw the shock and confused look in Nico's face, his anger died down immediately. "Look. We're not trying to control what you do, but all we're asking is a little bit of loyalty."

"But I am loyal to this show. I-I do what I can for everyone," Nico desperately tried to pull together a yet another crumbling situation.

"We know that, and that's great. But you can't go back and forth to us and to them. Sooner or later, you'll have to choose which one. We're just afraid that maybe after all this time, you'll choose them."

"But I won't," Nico answered. Mr. West only shook his head slowly. Nico stared at his feet. Just when things have started to get better, this happened. When will he stop running against this kind of situations? "What if I still continued to see them?" he asked.

"Then you'll leave us with no choice," Eric answered gently, then walked away with a pained heart.

**………………………………......**

Rhianne broke away from the crowd who stood with their ears pressed against the door. "He's been going to the Randoms' studio?" she asked with disappointment. "I thought they don't care about him."

The rest also started to go back to their seats, frustration painted across their faces. "They don't, but he cares about them," Lorraine mentioned gloomily. "He's getting himself in trouble."

"You know what? It's not his fault. It's theirs. They're the ones always getting him in trouble," Alex said in defense.

"What if he can't do it? What if he continues talking to them?" Portlyn worried. "We can't let him get fired."

"No. That's not going to happen," Chad answered, then smirked. "Fear no more, everyone. Chad Dylan Cooper has a plan!"

Alex rolled his eyes. "I hope it's better than your rhyming," he groaned.

_**______________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

_**Not my best work. I personally think it's really corny, but I admit that I struggled while I was writing this chapter. No matter. I just hope you enjoyed it! :D**_

_**Please leave a review! I'd be happy to see even just a smiley face… **_

_**Spoiler:**__** Well, next chapter's Teen Awards. That much I can tell you. I'm already researching for dresses that they're going to wear! I'm seeing a lot of cute stuff! (Oh, and I hope it's okay if I pick designer dresses. I'm going to mention it on my disclaimer next chapter, don't worry.)**_

_**And yes. Nico's going to Teen Awards. So! Random crew will, too. (Ooh-hoo-hoo…what will happen?) They'll have their partners, and the pairings might just shock you…**_

_**Have a great Sonnico day! **_**=D**


	12. Different Worlds Now

_**Author's Note:**__** First of all, sorry if it's been so long since my last update. I really do apologize. Second, okay, you guys. The poll is out! It's in my profile page. You can just click on my username, and it'll take you there. You, my lovely readers, will decide how this fic will end. Well, not really, but you have to decide if Nico should: (a) Go back to So Random! to be with Sonny and Grady or, (b) Stay in Mackenzie Falls with Rhianne and Alex. So hurry! You can vote up to five times, so vote! =D**_

_***It's a blind poll, by the way, so you won't see the results until Chapter 15 or 16. I want it to be a surprise!***_

_**Disclaimer:**__** Sonny With a Chance does not belong to me. It belongs to Disney. **_** (Although, I do own the story! =D)**

_

* * *

_

**Chapter Eleven**

**Different Worlds Now**

"Ree, I'm telling you. If you're planning to take me to the waterfalls set and push me off, I am going to take you with me."

Rhianne giggled. "Don't worry, Nico. I don't _hate _you that much," she joked.

A wide grin spread through Nico's lips. Even though doubtful, he continued walking. Rhianne's hands were covering his eyes as they proceed to this 'surprise' gift—or so she dubbed it—from Mr. West. Once in a while, with the occasional slivers of light that he saw, were hints of where they were going.

"We're almost there…" Rhianne added.

After a couple of steps forward, they stopped. On instinct, Nico listened to his surroundings. It was not that he didn't trust Rhianne, because he did. The darkness was the only thing that made the difference. Nico lifted his hands up and held on to his friend's soft hands.

"Why are you holding on to my hands?" Rhianne asked, suppressing the fact that his touch made her heart skip. "Don't tell me that a small surprise scares you."

"No," Nico answered.

A coy smile lighted up Rhianne's face as she slowly removed her hands from Nico's eyes. She watched when he opened his eyes, and then pleasantly creased his eyebrows at the sight of the suit hanging at one of his wardrobe rack. "Ta-dah!" she chirped.

Nico took some time to absorb the immaculate black suit he was seeing. _Looks expensive, _he thought, only to be affirmed by the bold 'Giorgio Armani' logo printed at the side of the cover. "I can't wear that," were the only words that escaped him while he shook his head.

Rhianne walked over to the suit, removed it from the rack, and brought it closer to Nico. "Why not?" she inquired, regarding the suit with amazement. "This is so you."

"Flashy?" he asked with a smile.

"Gorgeou—I mean, lovely," Rhianne amended.

Nico narrowed his eyes playfully. "C'mon. I know you meant to say gorgeous," he teased.

"In your dreams," she laughed.

Nico chuckled. "But seriously. I can't wear this. This costs way too much! All I need is a simple suit," he insisted then, looked at Rhianne. "I'll be fine with that."

"Look. You're a Mac Cast member. Every single person that would be there will expect you to be the best! Mr. West wants us to look the best! And, if it'll make you feel better, all of us will be wearing designer suits and dresses," she said. "I'm wearing a Christian Dior dress tonight."

"But you're a girl. Pretty girls like you _are _supposed to wear beautiful dresses," Nico added, his tone serious.

Rhianne fought the warmth that attempted to rise to her cheeks. "Oh. I'm sorry. I don't think I accept self-pity as an excuse," she joked. Nico swiveled his head towards her again, then smiled. "Nico. All you've got to do tonight is clean up well, dress up, and show up. That's it. Now is that so hard?"

"No. I guess not," Nico answered quietly. He took the suit from Rhianne, and then he began examining it.

"Well then," she cheerfully concluded. When the next thought popped up in her mind, she held her breath. She was hesitant to say it, or let alone hint it, but she knew she had to. Or else, it might become too late. "And, you know," she added, looking at her feet as she did so, "you've got to show up with your date, too."

Nico scoffed, still busy with his suit. "Right," he added with an absent-minded grin.

Rhianne's heart sank. _Right? As in what? You've got a date? _"Will she be wearing a lovely dress too?"

Nico frowned. "Who?" he asked.

"Your girl," she replied bluntly.

Nico laughed silently. "Oh. I don't have anyone to come with me tonight," he said. Rhianne almost sighed with relief. "You?" he turned to her, making her heart jump. "You're going with someone, right? That dude from the Aeron Code movie. Um, Luke Hill?"

Rhianne shook her head. "Oh. No, no, no. That's Keysha's date," she stated rapidly.

"I thought you liked him."

"Well, you know, he's, uh, taken," she stammered. Inwardly, she yelled at herself for being nervous.

"Great guys taken first, huh?"

"I wouldn't say that," she muttered.

Nico smiled. "Ree, would you like to go with me—"

"Yes!" Rhianne blurted out. "I would love to go with you. I mean, as friends. You know? I will be your date tonight."

Nico only stared at her, then smiled kindly when he understood. "I just wanted to ask you if you would like to go with me to the cafeteria because I'm starving," he cleared. He saw Rhianne's face fired red afterwards.

"Oh. I—I'm sorry. J-just ignore me. I'm just whacked out today. I should've—Goodness, this is embarrassing. Nico—"

"Hey. Don't worry about it," Nico said. "You're fine." Rhianne bit her lip, her nerves throbbing up a frenzy. Nico thought of Sonny all the while, how he would have loved it if they came together. It would have made his night complete and everything alright. His manager, Sally, told him a week ago that he was nominated for an award but he knew that if Sonny was with him, even if he didn't win it, he would be okay. Just to see her smile and hear her voice again, then it would be enough.

But Mr. West had been keeping a close watch on him. He was aware of that. Asking Sonny for tonight had been out of the question since they had that 'talk'.

"I think us going together would work too," Nico said. Rhianne's head snapped up in surprise. "Just friends, right? I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

Try as she may, a gleeful grin spread through Rhianne's face. "Really?" Nico nodded. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she jumped excitedly, and then hugged Nico tightly.

"Thank you too…for…being so…happy?" Nico inquired unsurely.

Rhianne acknowledged the fact that it might seem awkward for Nico, that she was hugging him, but she knew that he would understand. It made her giddy to be so close to him, and it made her content to feel his heart beat. All of it made her love him more. She guessed she had to thank Mr. West for this. Sonny would soon be left in oblivion, and by then she would be the only girl in Nico's life.

She would never mean him harm, and she would love him with all that she could. And he would love her, too, someday. He would love her, too.

_

* * *

_

Camera flashes pierced the cool night at the Teen Awards red carpet. Photographers and reporters abound the whole venue as the teenage celebrities paraded from their cars towards the Bruin Theater for the most-awaited event. The sultry moonlight was lusterless compared to the bright lights being showered upon the fans, the media, the invited executives, and the nominees.

Nico peeked nervously from behind the darkly tinted windows of the limousine. Rhianne sat beside him, her arm entangled in his, a lovely smile on her face, which complimented the flowing powder blue dress that she wore. Portlyn, who wore a silky Versace brown gown that framed her body well, and Alex, who wore a distinctive black suit, argued under their voices with their less than successful 'matching' attires. Amber and James, both wearing lavender-colored formal wears, were helping each other in finishing their Algebra 2 homework.

Keysha and Chad had both gone with their dates, the latter having Sonny as his. Nico winced inwardly at the remembrance of it.

"Okay, everybody," Rhianne announced cheerfully. "Time to get out there. Don't forget to…"

"Smile," Amber supplemented, looking up alertly from her book.

Everybody look expectantly at Alex. "Shine," Alex breathed out, rolling his eyes.

Rhianne turned to Nico. "And…win an award?" he guessed.

"Perfect!" Rhianne giggled.

"Oh, brother," Alex groaned.

The door opened beside Nico. Hesitantly, and with Portlyn's prodding, he stepped out. Instantaneously, cameras turned towards their way, the inevitable blinding lights from these following through. Nico couldn't help but squint.

"Rhianne! This way!" a photographer called.

"Portlyn! Look this way, sweetheart!"

"James, please! Mr. Ryu!"

"Nico Harris? Nico! Nico, over here!" a young, blonde lady called him.

Nico turned towards her way. "Ree," he whispered, "do you mind if I—"

"Talk to a reporter?" Rhianne asked, smiling. "Go right ahead."

After mumbling a "thanks", he walked towards the reporter. "Good evening," he shyly muttered, glancing only once at the camera behind the lady.

"Hi, Nico! I'm Joanne Lewis, from Teen Biz?" she said, showing her pearly whites. "I just want to ask a few questions."

"Sure," he shrugged.

"So, how does it feel to be nominated for the Best Actor category in Teen Awards? This is your first time, am I correct?"

"Yes," Nico answered. "Well, I guess I'm excited."

"You guess?" Joanne laughed heartily but basing on her tone, Nico knew it was faked. "So you're not happy with it?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I am," he grinned. "It's just that I don't know right now. Maybe it would settle in later when the awards start."

Joanne nodded solemnly. "Yeah, yeah. But hey, it has to feel good that you're going against Chad Dylan Cooper. Speaking of that, have there been any tension between you two because of it?"

"No. Absolutely no. Chad is almost like a brother to me, so I don't—"

"Is it true that you're an only child?" Joanne interjected.

"Yeah. That's why—"

"And your dad's a big-time lawyer, right?"

"Yes, but I got to say—"

"Aw…Look who's coming!" Joanne said. Nico fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Rhianne Anderson, you look gorgeous tonight!"

"Thanks," Rhianne replied.

"I guess you're dressed up for your date, hmm? So who is this very fortunate guy?"

Rhianne hooked an arm on Nico's coyly, and then turned around with the latter. "I thought you knew already," she told Joanne with a mystical smile. She grinned, as they walked away, when she heard Joanne gasp.

"That girl's crazy," Nico muttered.

"I should've warned you about her," Rhianne replied when they have finally entered the theater. "She's kind of like an exclusively-for-Mackenzie-Falls reporter. She's obsessed with us."

"Really?" Nico frowned.

Rhianne looked up to him, and winked playfully. Nico laughed.

_

* * *

_

The awards went by almost slowly for Nico. Every once in a while, he got nervous when he remembered that he was nominated but with Alex and Portlyn's silent argument going on behind him, he found himself forgetting about it. He could also hear Tawni, Grady, and Zora giggling to a quiet joke. He was more distracted, and he thought that it was better that way.

However, he couldn't help but look at Sonny all night. She sat two rows in front of him, but that distance—and even the dim lights inside the spectacular theater—could not manage to tear his eyes away from her. Her curled hair, which glimmered with the gloomy stage lights, was beautiful. When she came up and got her award for being the best teen comedienne, he thought that her smile was amazing.

He closed his eyes sometimes, thinking how child-like and weird it might seem. He couldn't love her like that anymore because if he would, damage would only be inflicted to him. Mr. West had said that he couldn't see his friends from So Random anymore. He was not allowed to see her anymore. He should know better than to do this, not only to himself but to everyone.

But why did his feelings for her seemed more inclined?

When the awards ended, everyone in the Mackenzie Falls cast except him received an award. Rhianne was nice enough to tell him that the awards "clearly do not know how good" he was. He told her not to worry, even if the feeling of loss lingered in him. He could not care less for the award; that was not what he was upset at. He was losing something more.

He was losing Sonny.

_

* * *

_

**Whoo! Finally! I will try to update again next week but in the meantime, I will welcome reviews! I'll hug them and love them! =)**

**Guys, the poll is out! Don't forget to vote! There were some that already voted, and the verdict currently is that Nico will (=X . And by the way, I also want to know if all of you want to know what happened to the Teen Awards After-Party, or just get on with the story. Tell me in your reviews, and I'll send you the spoiler!**

**-m093XD **

**P.S: The Bruin Theater mentioned above is a real theater. It's in California, so I don't own it! **


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